Ashes (was Stranger in the night)
by Lady in black
Summary: NWZ: Zorro is chasing some bandits ten miles out of the pueblo and falls victim to an ambush. It is Toronado who finds help for his wounded master and thus brings him in contact with a myterious woman he's only seen once or twice before in the pueblo. However, Zorro soon has to find out, that there's more to her, than meets the eye.
1. Chapter 1

**Ashes  
**

**(was "Stranger in the night")**

Rated T.

Summary: NWZ: Zorro is chasing some bandits ten miles out of the pueblo as he falls victim to an ambush. Badly injured there seems to be little hope for him to survive.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything (unfortunately). This is written for the enjoyment of fellow Zorro fans and not intended to infringe any copyrights. However, I do claim original characters as my own as well as the plot of the story following. This work of fiction is not to be printed or published elsewhere without my written consent.

Author's note: Well, this is my first Zorro fanfic. Just to let you know. Unfortunately English is not my first language and I haven't written anything in years (at least not in English) so I'm not feeling as confident about posting this as I might have ten years ago. I just had this idea spooking around in my head for a while now and I felt the overwhelming urge to write it down.

Please do read and hopefully enjoy my little story. If you do so, make my day just a little brighter and leave me a review. It's the only payment I get (and dare I say expect) for this and they do mean a lot more to me than stupid money ever could. After all money is what I go to work for everyday. ;-) So if you care to do this humble writer a little favor, tell her what you think of the little tale you're about to read.

_**Chapter 1**_

Early in December winter had brought an unusual cold to the Pueblo de Los Angeles and its people and one could see the inhabitants of the small pueblo wearing some extra ponchos to protect themselves from the icy wind that had come along.

A good ten miles outside of town the winds were blowing around the weather worn wooden planks of a small farmhouse. A white mare outside in the corral had retreated to the small adjacent barn for some shelter and was peacefully munching on some hay. The darkness of night had begun to lay its velvet blanket over the open plains of Alta California and brought with it the promise of peace to the rough land.

Ana stood in the doorway and watched the sun disappear behind the small hills surrounding her property. She inhaled the cold air deeply into her lungs and let her thoughts wander. Closing her eyes to the world around her, she listened to it instead and heard nothing but an occasional bird singing in a distant bush and the soft noises her horse made in the corral. With a sigh she opened her eyes, drew her shawl even tighter around her shoulders and walked the short distance to the corral's fence. When she gave a whistle the ears of the white mare stood in attention and the beautiful horse made its way towards its owner.

"Hey there, old girl", Ana smiled at the mare and softly stroked the horse's nose. "I'm sorry we didn't go for a ride today. I know I promised, but I really needed to chop some firewood." The horse nuzzled Ana gently as if trying to tell her, that it was alright. "Besides I was running low on some of my herbs and I needed to gather them, before there aren't any left. You know how difficult it is to find them out here anyway. By now Pablo would probably have scolded me anyway for being so careless with his supplies." The mare nodded her head as if in agreement. "Quite right you are, Águila. You miss him just as much as I do, don't you?" It wasn't really a question. "You will be alright. I have to go back inside. And tomorrow, I promise, we will go for that ride." Ana kissed the soft nose of Águila and turned to go back inside when the sounds of muskets disturbed the silence of night. Startled she turned around looking in the direction from where the shooting could be heard. Águila behind her gave a frightened whinny and galloped back into the safety of the barn. Ana stood frozen to the spot. In the distance she could hear the sounds of panicked horses and even more gunfire now accompanied by the clashing of steel that rung through the night with the terrifying certainty that one or more men were fighting for their lives. Quite soon the sounds of muskets being fired ceased and the only thing she could make out was the distant sound of swordplay. And then very suddenly it all came to an end. The silence was deafening after all the commotion and Ana was trying to hear something – anything. It was just impossible for all sound to disappear right after there had so obviously been a fight. But all she could make out was the sounds of Águila's hooves on the dirt floor who was dancing around nervously. With one hand she motioned her horse to be quiet as she tried to make out any sound in the distance.

After a little while she heard men shouting at each other but she couldn't make out what was being said. And eventually all sounds faded along with the distant thunder of many hooves galloping away. Silence once again returned to the plains just outside the Pueblo de Los Angeles as though nothing had ever happened.

"Whatever that was, it's over now", Ana mumbled and started to go back inside when Águila came out of her shelter whinnying nervously. Her gaze was fixed on something in the distance and Ana followed it. Towards them came a black shadow running at breathtaking speed, huge and frightening. While Águila became more nervous by the second, Ana just stood there next to the fence her dark eyes fixed on the quickly approaching horse. It came to a halt right in front of her, but reared on its hind legs in panic and almost hit the woman in front of it when it came down again. Immediately Ana grabbed the bridles talking to the panicked horse in a calming fashion. "Shh, boy. Quiet. It's over." But the huge stallion wouldn't calm, panic still evident in his black eyes. "It's alright. I will help you. But I can't do that if you don't clam down just a bit. Please." She stared into the stallions eyes as if trying to hypnotize the animal when all she was doing was trying to calm him. Eventually the stallion responded to her soft whispering and touches and gave a snort. "See, there's a good boy", Ana smiled and patted the horse's neck. "You look quite familiar", she muttered as she noticed the fancy bridles and saddle. A whip hung loosely from the saddle horn and it began to dawn on her whose horse had just nearly trampled her to death. "Your master is in trouble, isn't he." Again, it was not a question. The black stallion nodded his head and tried to get himself out of her hold on his bridles. Ana let go of him and gave a small whistle that caused Águila to come further towards her. Fear was still evident in the mare's eyes but she trusted her human unconditionally and was ready to take the risk of coming closer to the impressive stallion. Ana opened the gate to the corral and mounted Águila's bare back. Deep inside her she knew that now was not the time to worry about saddles and bridles. "Lead the way." She nodded towards the other horse which immediately took off. Ana urged Águila into a gallop and followed the stallion into the night.

The ride was short and ended quite abruptly when the stallion came to a halt right next to a shadowy figure on the ground. Ana guided her horse toward them and dismounted. She immediately recognized the still form of a man, dressed all in black, lying awkwardly bent over a huge rock. Getting to her knees she felt for a pulse on his throat and let out a sigh of relief when she felt a weak throbbing against her fingertips. However, there wasn't much she could do out in the open plains in the dark of night. She got up from her kneeling position and went towards the stallion, looking the huge animal directly in the eye.

"I will need your help for this, Toronado", she said. "Your master is severely injured and I can't do anything for him out here. We need to get him back to my house. Will you help me with that?" Some of the nervousness that had taken hold of the large stallion ebbed away at her words as he was obviously relieved that he had found his master help. "Good." Ana took again hold of Toronado's bridles and guided him down onto his knees. He obeyed without hesitation as he knelt down right next to the unconscious man. "There we go. Now this won't be easy", Ana sighed as she attempted to move the wounded man from the rock ever so carefully. She knew there was a possibility that his back was hurt and that the man preferably shouldn't be moved at all but she couldn't just leave him out there in the cold where death would sooner or later claim him. This would at least give him a chance to survive. So she knelt down behind him, slipped her arms underneath his armpits and tried to drag him carefully the short distance to the kneeling Toronado. Zorro was definitely heavier than he looked. Grunting from the effort she managed to place him over Toronado's back and held on to him as she commanded the stallion to stand up. Zorro nearly fell but with effort she managed to keep him on the saddle. "We've got to do this very slowly. So, don't gallop off, do you hear me!" Panting she swung herself over Águila's back and reached for Toronado's reigns, leading him to stand right next her. The sudden closeness to the much taller stallion made her own mare nervous but she couldn't afford to recognize that just now. "Slowly", Ana said again before they started their way back to her house. As if both horses had understood what she wanted from them they trotted home in perfect harmony.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thank you so much for the reviews. I'm glad and a bit surprised that anyone was acutually reading it. So here comes chapter two. However, I won't be able to update on a daily basis. I had most of this finished yesterday and that's why this update is coming so quickly. Thank you for reading! I hope you'll enjoy.

**Chapter 2**

Once there the task at hand wasn't so easy. Toronado had gone as close as possible to the house's front door but from there Ana was on her own with her heavy burden. Again Toronado knelt down very carefully, trying not to throw Zorro in the process. Ana had brought Águila back into the corral and was standing right next to the stallion as he lowered himself on the ground. Holding him under his armpits the lifeless man was hanging against her chest as she dragged him inside the small house. Luckily the bedroom was at the front of the house so she wouldn't have to drag him all the way to the back. It took her a while to get him into the bedroom and onto the bed. Still panting from the effort she quickly grabbed for some matches and lit the lamp on the nightstand. When the flame flickered to life it revealed more horrors than Ana could have been prepared for. A thin line of red ran constantly out of the corner of his mouth. Glistening in the weak light of the oil lamp she could make out a constantly growing moist spot on the black silk of his shirt. Without paying attention to damage she caused on the fabric she tore his shirt open to find the source of the constant blood flow. At first no wound could be seen but after she had wiped some of the blood away using some towels from the nearby chest of drawers, she quickly discovered a nasty gash left by a musket ball right across his stomach. Pressing the towels hard against the wound she tried to stop the bleeding while looking for more injuries. Looking him in the face she saw blood covering his eyelids that was beginning to seep out from underneath the mask and onto his cheeks. With her free hand Ana reached up and did the one thing no one had ever done before – except for the man himself. She removed the black silk that had been hiding the identity of the man for years so very well. Not taking any notice of his features she quickly identified the source of the bleeding. Apparently he had taken a blow to the head that had left a deep cut right in the middle of his forehead. She allowed herself some relief as she realized that the head wound didn't appear to be that serious. It would need stitches though, but that could wait until later.

Reluctantly she let go of the towels she was still pressing against his stomach. She needed to get proper supplies to help her patient. Mere towels and her good will to help wouldn't do. Taking a look underneath the once white fabric she was pleased to see that the bleeding wasn't as bad anymore. There still was some but as long as he didn't move it shouldn't worsen. Getting up from the bed she quickly returned to the main room of the house to gather the things she would need. Fortunately the fire in the fireplace hadn't gone out during her absence so the kettle with water she had always hanging there was still hot, which would come in handy. Ana literally whirled through the room gathering supplies she would need to attend to the injured man in her bedroom. When she was done, she put everything in a basket, poured the boiling water into a large clean bowl and returned to the bedroom. She set the water bowl down on the night stand, the basket right next to the bed on the floor.

"I need more light," she mumbled to herself and went to light the remaining oil lamps in the small room. "There that's better." Ana hurried back to the bed and tried to concentrate on the task at hand. Of course she had recognized the face of the man lying on her bed and that made it quite difficult for her to keep the horror of what she was seeing buried somewhere in the back of her mind. Even though she had never talked to Don Diego de la Vega she knew exactly who he was and what he and his alter ego had done for the pueblo. And she admired him for it. Holding back her tears with great effort Ana sat down and removed the blood soaked towels from Diego's stomach. The bleeding had stopped and she began cleaning the wound. The water immediately turned red in the bowl as she placed the cloth she'd been using in it. Grabbing needle and thread from the basket on the floor she found it difficult to get the thread through the eye of the needle but she eventually managed and began the delicate work of stitching the wound together. It took her nearly half an hour to close the skin. She cleaned the wound and the surrounding area with some alcohol and applied a nasty smelling ointment that was supposed to speed up the healing process and keep the wound from getting inflamed as well. Ana bandaged it tightly and then went to get some more fresh hot water. She went to the front door and then outside to empty the bowl and was quite startled when the warm soft nose of a horse nuzzled her shoulder. She jumped and after whirling around found herself eye to eye with Toronado who was looking at her expectantly.

"It doesn't look good, I'm afraid," she told the black stallion and patted his back. "He has lost a lot of blood and I cannot yet say anything to the extent of the injuries." Ana tried to give an encouraging smile and felt a little stupid that she was actually talking to a horse. Not that she hadn't done it before, but this one – much like her own – made her believe, that he actually understood every word she said. With a sigh she went back inside, refilled the bowl and returned to Diego. He hadn't moved since she'd left him which was a good thing under the circumstances. Careful not to spill any of the water she walked slowly over to the bed and once again placed the bowl on the nightstand. She turned toward her patient and began to undress him. "I'm sorry, Don Diego. I know that you probably wouldn't approve of a strange woman undressing you, but I'm afraid there's no one else around and I need to see if you've sustained any more injuries." She had done this before many times but to her it seemed as though that had been many lifetimes ago. Thus she blamed her lack of exercise of dealing with sick people for the embarrassment she felt when she stripped the unconscious man down to his underwear. When she was finished she tossed his black clothing on the floor and was relieved to see that apart from some bruises here and there, there were no more wounds on his front that required her immediate attention. "Good. That's something", she muttered under her breath, as she struggled to turn him onto his side, preferably without tearing open the fresh stitches on his stomach. There just above his buttocks she discovered a large bruise and a considerable swelling. Her eyes grew wide in shock as her racing mind began to form the consequences of her discovery inside her head. All feelings of relief were suddenly gone as she slowly eased him to lie flat on his back. With a sigh she turned to the water bowl, wetted a cloth and started washing the dust and dried blood off his lifeless form. Ana immediately noticed the unnatural warmth emanating from his pale skin. It was obvious that his body had begun to fight off an infection that was building up somewhere in his system with a fever. It took her quite a while to clean the man up and stitch the wound on his forehead but once she was finished she allowed herself a moment to collect her thoughts and herself. What he must have gone through to suffer that kind of injuries was beyond her, even though she had a pretty good idea about the forces it took to damage a human body to that degree. Adding that Zorro was a very well built and trained man the punishment he had to have taken was nowhere near imaginable.

"Rest now," she whispered and gently caressed his warm cheek. With only the hint of a smile that never quite reached her eyes Ana got up from the bed, pulled the warm covers over Diego and went to dim the lights in the room. With one last glance at the men in her bed she grabbed her supplies and left for the main room. Knowing she had done everything within her might for the time being she put her things on the kitchen table and then let herself drop into the old worn armchair in front of the fireplace. She closed her eyes for a moment in a feeble attempt to bring her wandering mind to rest but it was to no avail. Now in the overwhelming silence of the night she heard his labored breathing all too clearly and it reminded her, that her work for the night was not yet done. Ana opened her eyes again and looked out the window to the front of her house. She saw Toronado standing close to the small porch, his head hanging low as if he were waiting on some news on his master. Taking a deep breath in she tried to force herself into a more wakeful state in those late hours of the night and got up. She'd have to boil some more water and then take care of the horses as she was pretty sure, that Don Diego or rather Zorro would not take it kindly if his horse had been neglected. So what was it anyway, she wondered as she emptied the used water from the bowl into a bucket. Don Diego or Zorro? Of course she knew that those names were each nothing but a constant reminder of two sides of the same man. However, she had found Zorro out there in the plains but it certainly was Don Diego who was occupying her bed, fighting for his life. Zorro wouldn't be missed as quickly as the son of one of the most powerful and wealthiest caballeros of entire Alta California. It probably wouldn't take his father longer than midmorning of the next day to form a search party. The only problem was, that they'd never come looking for him at her house as she doubted that any of them knew that she even existed. Don Diego had known about her. He knew every single soul in the pueblo. On these rare occasions when she went to Los Angeles for supplies she usually felt his eyes on her sooner or later and she had a pretty good idea what he must have been thinking. He was probably wondering who she was, why she always kept to herself and above all – why the Alcalde acted as though he didn't even know about her even though she'd been living in her small house ten miles out of the pueblo for nearly six years. No one knew she was there. No one ever recognized her. No one cared. Except for Don Diego de la Vega.

She had him at a disadvantage right there because she knew exactly who he was. Living the life she had chosen for herself had taught her one thing: observation and perception were everything. Looking behind the masks people wore upon their everyday faces had never been an uneasy thing for her and then when the man in the black mask first appeared in the Pueblo de Los Angeles it hadn't taken her long to figure out who he really was. However, how he managed to constantly keep those closest to him in the dark about his true identity and purpose in life remained a mystery to her. How something as simple as a small piece of black silk could totally estrange a son to his father in such manner, was an enigma she'd probably would never find the answer to.

Ana took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, trying to chase off the tiredness that was starting to claim her. Picking up the water bucket she went outside to tend to the horses. Águila had returned to the safety of her little barn while Toronado was still waiting near the front door.

"I'm afraid your friend will have to stay here for a while," she said as she approached the black stallion. "He is not well." Ana stroked Toronado's long neck gently, trying to calm him down some. "Since I don't think that you're willing to leave him behind all on his own I figure you might want to stay, too. So I kindly ask you to allow me to remove your saddle and bridle and take you to my corral. Águila certainly wouldn't mind the company." Ana waited for some kind of response from Toronado and got it, when he turned and made a few steps to allow her access to his side. "Alright then," she smiled and began to unsaddle him somewhat nervously. Toronado stood there patiently as she took the heavy saddle off of his back and put it over the railing of the front porch. That accomplished she also removed the bridle and went over to the corral, hoping that the stallion would follow her, which he did. Once he was within the fenced area, she closed the gate from the inside and went over to the barn to retrieve some oats and scatter more hay for the two horses. When she was finished she went to leave the corral but heard a small whinny behind her. Ana turned and once again found herself face to face with Zorro's horse. Smiling she again patted his neck first, then his soft, warm nose. "I have to go back inside, I'm afraid. As much as I enjoy your company it is your friend who needs me now." Apparently satisfied Toronado gave a nod. Ana quickly went to the well, refilled the water bucket and went back inside.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

„Now Sergeant, what is it that you wanted again?" Victoria gave her usual mischievous grin as she always did, when she was teasing Sergeant Mendoza. "Tamales, I believe? I'm afraid my kitchen will have to stay cold if that new edict outside is to keep hanging from my tavern's wall." It was still early in the morning and the breakfast crowd had not yet invaded the small tavern of the Pueblo de Los Angeles.

"Please, Senorita Victoria," Sergeant Mendoza pleaded with the young tavern owner. "How can you do this to a poor starving soldier that is only following his orders?"

"Well, if you don't like your job…" Victoria began, but was cut off mid-sentence.

"Yes, yes. I know. I should quit. But then what will there be left for me? I'm not a farmer and most certainly no merchant. A soldier's life is all I know and probably will know until the end of my days."

"It's alright, Sergeant", Victoria smiled and patted the man's shoulder in a gesture of friendship. "I was only teasing. I know the Alcalde quite regularly forces you to do things, that you don't approve of. Like shooting a certain masked vigilante."

"Shhhhh," Mendoza tried to hush her, panic written all over his face. "If the Alcalde hears that, he'll probably make me stand in the midday heat for hours again."

"Oh, don't worry. It's not very hot out there. And I'm sure our fine Alcalde is still trying to perfect his beauty by getting some very little deserved sleep." Victoria declared cheerfully and went to the kitchen to get the Sergeant's orders.

"Madre de dios." Mendoza's eyes went up to the ceiling for a moment as he sent a quick prayer to the lord above, that the Alcalde wouldn't hear about their little conversation. However, he was interrupted in his prayer as the tavern door opened and a group of six entered the tavern that he had never seen before in the pueblo. Their ragged clothes, covered in the dust of many days in the saddle made him think of some cow herders that had probably come to the pueblo looking for a job. Of course there was a possibility that the men were bandits or other unpleasant folk, but the delicious smell of fresh tamales emanating from the kitchen made him settle with his first thought. So he chose to ignore the strangers and didn't have to wait long for Victoria to come back into the guest room.

"There you go," she smiled as she placed the plate of hot tamales in front of him on the table. "Buen provecho."

"Gracias, senorita", Mendoza smiled back at her and dug in. Victoria went to take the orders of her other guests.

The six men had sat down in the far corner of the room so Mendoza found it hard to overhear, what they were talking about. He continued munching happily on his tamales, but there was something about them, that just didn't seem right. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Victoria taking the orders and returning to the counter to fetch their drinks. Mendoza couldn't find any indication of nervousness in her behavior whatsoever and decided to let the matter rest for now. It wouldn't have been the first time that a gut feeling about strangers had betrayed him.

Quite soon after the group of strangers the usual breakfast crowd filled the tavern. Pilar, Victoria's friend and helper around the tavern had also arrived and was tending to the guests. Mendoza finished his meal and went to do his daily chores for the Alcalde. It was a very quiet and normal morning of what promised to become a normal and quiet day. But as it so often happened in life, things would turn out quite differently.

At midmorning the tavern was a little emptier when Felipe arrived. Victoria was behind the counter polishing glasses and pitchers when the youngest member of the de la Vega household entered. She smiled as she caught sight of him and immediately put the glass, she'd been cleaning aside.

"Felipe," she greeted him warmly as she went over to the small table by the pillar. "I take it Diego is still asleep?" Victoria grinned as she sat down opposite of the deaf mute boy, so that he could see her. Felipe smiled back at her, shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Well, I wouldn't have expected precious Diego to show up before noon anyway."

Felipe nodded in agreement, but inwardly his heart twitched slightly as always, when someone was making fun of the strange habits of the man he thought of as a father. If only they knew.

'Some juice, please.' He signed slowly so that Victoria had a chance to interpret.

"Right away, senor," she smiled and got up to get some. As soon as she was back behind the counter loud laughter from the far end filled the room, as the wine and tequila the six strangers had ordered, obviously began to dull their minds and loosen their tongues.

"You should have seen him fighting Carlos like a mad man, he never saw me sneaking up on him from behind those bushes," the tallest of the six cried and everyone at their table roared with laughter. "That look on his face, when the bullet hit him was priceless!"

"Yeah, imagine that! The great Zorro brought down but one tiny musket ball!" another of the men roared and took a sip from the pitcher instead of his glass.

"And my name is no longer Pedro if that spine of his didn't break over that rock he fell on when that damned stallion of his threw him."

"Yeah, I don't quite get it why that Zorro has become a living legend at all if even six morons like us could kill him!"

"The reward is ours, amigos!" the tallest of them could be heard again. "Senorita! Another round of tequila, por favor," he shouted in Victoria's direction, never noticing the shock and expression of disbelief on the woman's face

**zZzZz**

The rest of the night had left Ana with no rest at all and added worries for her unexpected visitor. After taking care of the horses she had immediately gone back inside, willing her own need for sleep away and began brewing a tea out of willow bark against the fever and a few other ingredients she knew would help the healing process. Pablo had been a good teacher. Very careful not to overdose any of the herbs she concentrated on the task at hand when the disturbingly loud sound of glass shattering into a million pieces followed by an apparently hard impact on the floor and loud moaning tore the peaceful quietness of her house. Ana let the knife drop to the table and set off in a run towards her bedroom door. When she got there the sight of unraveling chaos threatened to take her breath away. Diego had woken up and had, obviously delirious from the fever he'd most certainly developed, tried to escape his strange and possibly dangerous surroundings. Now he lay panting heavily on the floor, sweat running down the almost ghostly white features of his face. He grunted in frustration when he couldn't get up from the floor, no matter how hard he tried. Watching him Ana gulped her rising panic down hard and steeled herself for what she had to do now. Talk to him. Everything had just been so much easier when he was still unconscious. Taking a deep breath in, she made one step further into the bedroom.

"You're lucky that didn't catch fire," she said pointing toward the broken lamp on the floor, which lay in a puddle of spilled lamp oil. "And what do you think you're doing anyway? You're in no condition to get out of bed." Her face wasn't showing the concern she felt. Instead she'd forced herself to appear as the woman people thought she was – filled with anger and bitterness. Startled Diego turned to face her, his face showing surprise, fear and what could only be interpreted as confusion. "You do of course realize that I didn't go through the considerable trouble of saving your life – or what little was left of it – so that you can ridicule my efforts by willingly trying to kill yourself. I won't have such disrespect for my work." Ana stomped towards him before his foggy mind had even the slightest chance of coming up with any kind of answer. "Also I consider it quite rude that you force me to heave you back into bed with your stupid idea of getting out of it by yourself. I've already dragged you around half the pueblo tonight, so I should be allowed some rest. Wouldn't you agree?" Ana helped him into a sitting position, carefully avoiding the shards of broken glass right next to them on the floor.

She knelt down in front of him and looked directly into his weary eyes. "Hug me", she commanded him. But instead of simply obeying her order, he gave her a confused look. "You can always try to get up on your own, but I'm afraid it will be to no avail. Trust me. I like this no more than you do. So if you'd kindly put your arms around my neck. It will make it at least a little easier for me to lift you up and onto the bed." Diego hesitated and once again tried to lift himself up by his own strength, but much to his dismay, the strange woman kneeling in front of him proved to be right. "Well?" She threw him a challenging and determined look and he eventually gave in. His arms felt terribly heavy as he lifted them up and closed them tightly around her neck. "Now that is a good lad," she said in a tone as if she were talking to an eight year old instead of a man somewhere in his thirties. "We'll have to be really careful now. Ripping those stitches on your stomach would be rather inconvenient – for both of us." Ana closed her arms behind his back, suddenly a little nervous, as she hadn't been that close to a living soul in many years. With her heart beating heavily against her ribcage, she silently counted to three and then pulled herself with the added weight of Diego up with great effort. As gently as her fading strength allowed it, she lowered him onto the mattress praying that none of the stitches had broken. Before she let go of him, she noticed the heat emanating from his bare skin. Quickly she pulled away and helped him lay down on the bed, tucking him in tightly, as he was by now shivering uncontrollably. Once she'd helped him settle in to her satisfaction she leaned down and gave him a stern look.

"Try anything like that again and I'll bind you to your horse's back and send you off right into the middle of nowhere and I won't care the least what happens to you. Is that perfectly clear?" She didn't move until Diego responded with a slight nod. "Good. Now I will go into the other room and get you some tea, that will help you sleep and heal. I will not harm you, Don Diego. I'm only trying to help. I can assure you, that this is the safest place in all of Alta California for a man with a secret like yours. You will have to trust me since you quite simply have no other choice. I'm sorry if I was a bit rude, but I am not accustomed to having visitors. So please. Just stay where you are and allow me to help you. Do you think you can do that?" Far too weak and tired to do anything else, Diego once again nodded and never saw the relief washing over Ana's face. "I'll be right back", she said and turned to leave the room.

"Your name?" His voice rose barely above a whisper but yet his simple request made her stop dead in her tracks. No one had asked for her name in years. With her back still turned to him, her shoulders dropped as she turned to face him, with quite a different expression in her features.

"My name doesn't matter", she said quietly and proceeded to leave.

"Please," his whispered question now sounding quite desperate.

"Ana", was her short answer and hearing it Diego could have sworn, that he had never heard more grief in a single word than in those three short letters of her name.

AN: Thank you so much for your reviews. One more information. My Spanish is basically non existent (I know how to say hello, goodbye and I can order a beer – but that is it!). So forgive me, if "Buen provecho" doesn't mean "Enjoy" (as you would say to someone just about starting to eat). Oh, and I am not sure that I remember Victoria's tavern helper's name correctly, but I think it was Pilar. Unfortunately I cannot use my NWZ DVDs for reference, as my DVD player is broken. L If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me. ;-)


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

When Ana returned to Diego's bedside he had fallen into an uneasy sleep. A high fever had finally taken hold of him and had cursed his slumber with nightmares. Letting out a heavy sigh she set down the tea tray on the nightstand and sat down on the bed next to him.

"What am I going to do with you?" she directed her question at the unconscious man, never expecting to get an answer. Gently she stroked his hot cheek as a sudden feeling of compassion engulfed her entire being. "I'm so sorry. You're probably the one person in this pueblo that doesn't deserve any of this after all that you've done for its people. And to make things worse, you're stuck with me." She laughed halfheartedly and turned to pour some of the herbal tea into a cup. Ana scooted up to sit closer to his head. Sliding her free hand under his sweaty neck, she held his head up and tried to get some of the tea down his throat. It wasn't much but at least she managed to get some of the liquid into his system while all the while praying, that it would do its miracles. "Rest now." Gently she placed his head back on the pillow and went back to the main room.

For the second time that night, she let her tired body collapse into the old armchair in front of the fireplace. Watching the flames licking at the substance of the wood they were engulfing, she let her mind wander to memories of a different life – a life in which everything had been easy and nothing could have been wrong. Her expression softened when she thought of Pablo and José, the happiness she had felt whenever she'd seen their faces, their smiles, had heard their laughter. All of this had been taken from her and before the happy memories could be replaced by dark ones, she shook herself out of her reverie. Instead she grabbed for a book that lay open the coffee table next to her armchair. Gently Ana caressed the worn pages with her fingertips, before she lost herself in the beauty and sadness of the sonnets she knew by heart. Stumbling upon the one, that held the secrets of her soul, she read it aloud in a hushed tone, in a feeble attempt to let her voice do to her heart what she wouldn't allow herself otherwise. Heal.

_"When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,_

_I all alone beweep my outcast state,_

_And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,_

_And look upon myself and curse my fate,_

_Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,_

_Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,_

_Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,_

_With what I most enjoy most contented least;_

_Yet, in these thoughts myself almost despising,_

_Haply I think on thee, and then my state,_

_Like the lark at break of dawn arising_

_From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;_

_ For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings_

_ That then I scorn to change my state with kings."*_

**zZzZz**

"It can't be. It is not possible", Victoria cried out desperately after she'd cleared the tavern of its guests and had closed for the day. The six men had left protesting heavily, but when she offered them their orders free of charge, the eventually left her establishment peacefully. "He can't be dead, Felipe!" The tavern owner sat down on the small bench next to Felipe and shook her head in utter terror and disbelief. The young man gave her a compassionate look and smiled a little. When he touched her delicate wrist ever so lightly she turned to look at him, so that she could read his signs.

'I'm sure they were just bragging to impress everybody. Don't you think they'd go to the Alcalde's office first to collect their reward for capturing Zorro?' Felipe signed and tried to smile encouragingly.

"You're probably right", Victoria admitted and let out a heavy sigh to calm herself. "Maybe I was rushing things a little when I closed the tavern early." She smiled and patted Felipe's forearm.

'I'll tell Don Diego what happened. He's in bed with a cold. Again.' That was at least what Felipe was hoping for. He'd borrowed one of Diego's many excuses to explain his absence at midmorning. Usually the young caballero came to the pueblo rather early in the morning to work for the Los Angeles Guardian – the newspaper he was publishing. But Zorro had ridden the previous night and so Felipe was not surprised to find Diego's bedroom empty in the wee hours of the morning. It had probably taken longer to get home than usually and so he'd spent the night in the cave. However, he had no proof for his theory whatsoever. He was accustomed to tend to Zorro's horse first thing in the morning – usually a long time before the rest of the hacienda's occupants woke, but today Don Alejandro, Diego's father, had also been up early and had asked for Felipe's help with some business in town. That was also the reason why Felipe had come to the tavern alone – something that rarely ever occurred. He usually was in the company of one or even both the de la Vega men, but Don Alejandro had sent him to get some breakfast while he attended to his business.

"Again?" Victoria frowned. "Don Diego seems to catch a cold nearly every other week", she giggled and shook her head. "I'm sorry Felipe, but sometimes I honestly wonder if he's really his father's son. Well, tell him I'd love to talk to him when he feels better. I'm sure he'll know what to make of those cow herders' statements." She got up from her seat and was instantly joined by Felipe who signed a quick goodbye. While Victoria was busy reopening the tavern, she never saw the look of worry on the young man's face as he stormed out of the tavern.

Felipe was glad he'd insisted to ride his paint earlier when he'd accompanied Don Alejandro to town. He quickly mounted and forced his horse into a gallop back to the hacienda. It didn't take him long to get there and he jumped from the saddle as soon as his paint came to a halt in front of the main gate. He ran inside toward the library and almost ran over one of the servants who gave him a scolding look. Felipe didn't care. As soon as the woman was gone, he triggered the mechanism at the fireplace's mantel that allowed him access to Zorro's cave. Quickly he slipped through the secret passageway and ran along the corridor that leg into the main part of the cave. Standing at the top of the stairs he couldn't make out Diego anywhere in the cave from his viewing point. A feeling of extreme terror took hold of his heart as he went down the stairs and peeked around the corner hoping that he'd least see to Toronado in his box. To his horror the black stallion was also missing and realization struck Felipe with full force. Those men at the tavern had probably been right. All of a sudden his world was turned upside down with the very real danger of the man he considered a father being dead.

**_zZzZz_**

The first rays of sunlight fell through the small window next to the front door and illuminated the small room instantly. The remains of the fire were still glowing in the fireplace when Ana's eyes slowly fluttered open. As sleeps fogginess began to make room for her conscious mind, she began to feel the stiffness in her bones and she moaned when she stretched her limps to chase it away. Her back was hurting, no doubt from the efforts of the previous night and sleeping in an armchair, that was a highly comfortable place to rest but failed to provide the relaxation of a mattress. Yawning she got up and stretched her limbs once more but the dull pain in her back and shoulders just wouldn't go away. With a heavy sigh she stepped outside and stood leaning against the door frame as she watched the world waking. The two horses in her corral were standing together closely, their heads bent low, obviously still asleep. She smiled and inhaled the fresh morning air before she turned back to go inside and check on her house guest. To her relief Diego was sleeping peacefully now, but the signs of a raging fever and the struggles against it of the previous night were still evident on his pale face. Softly placing her hand on his forehead, she checked his temperature and allowed herself a little smile, when his skin felt a bit cooler to her touch. Ana drew back the covers to check on the wound on his torso. The bandages were still white which indicated, that the stitches probably hadn't broken when his entire body had been convulsing as a result of his high temperature. She began to carefully remove the bandages to clean the wound and check for infection, when she felt him stirring under her touch. As she turned her head, his eyes were open and he was watching her.

"Good morning," Ana greeted him quietly and turned back to the task at hand. She really didn't care to deepen their 'conversation' and simply continued with her work.

"Where am I?" His voice was hoarse and weak and he found it extremely difficult to speak.

"In my bed," she retorted. "This left only the armchair for me, so that I have you to thank for my sore back."

"My apologies," Diego mumbled.

"No apologies necessary. You need the bed more than I do," she said a bit softer and eventually looked at him. "Bandits overwhelmed you last night out in the plains and left you for dead. With a little guidance from your horse I found you and brought you back here," she explained and then fixed her gaze on the wound on his stomach again. Talking to him, looking him in the eyes made her nervous and so she preferred to busy herself with what to most would appear as amore gruesome task. The wound didn't appear to be inflamed very badly, as the edges of skin were only a little redder, than they were supposed to be. "Tell me. Are you in any more pain, apart from your head and stomach?" she queried, still avoiding his eyes.

"My lower back," he grunted as he tried to shift a little to get more comfortable.

"That was to be expected. I'm afraid I'll have to inflict some more pain on you right now. Steel yourself. I'm going to use alcohol to clean your wound." Out of the corner of her eye she glanced for any sign of his that he did know what was coming up. He nodded slightly and then grimaced in pain as she pressed an alcohol soaked cloth against the wound. Ana tried to finish her task as quickly as humanly possible to spare him any further pain. When she removed the cloth, the pain dulled to a bearable level, but the procedure had left him panting heavily. She applied the nasty smelling ointment once again and then covered it all with a clean cloth. "Do you think you could sit up for me? It certainly would make bandaging that wound a lot easier."

"Yes", came Diego's immediate, however hardly audible answer. He tried to force himself into a sitting position as his eyes suddenly grew wide. "What's that?" Fear was very evident in his eyes as he looked at her intently, trying to force her to look back at him.

"What's what?" she asked and put the bandage aside on the covers.

"I can't feel my legs…"

*Sonnet #29 by William Shakespeare

AN: Well, this is a little shorter than I intended, but I like the cliffhanger at the end. ;-) I'm afraid that there won't be another chapter tomorrow. I have a dentist's appointment after work and since this is not one of my favorite things in the world, I might not want to sit down at my computer after that. Sorry. Well, I hope you still enjoy this little crazy idea of mine. :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Diego's face mirrored the sheer panic he felt inside. He tried to concentrate, tried to at least wriggle his toes but a streak of nearly unbearable pain shot through his lower back and took his breath away. He let himself fall back against the pillows, breathing heavily.

"I was afraid of that," Ana muttered as her expression darkened. It took all of her courage to sit down on the bed next to Diego and take his hand, so that he would focus on her instead of his pain and constantly rising panic. She gently stroked the back of his hand with her thumb until he relaxed some and was able to listen to her.

"What happened?" he gasped, fear in both his words and in his eyes.

"When Toronado threw you, you landed on a rock. At least that's what I think has happened, as you were still laying on it when I found you. You have quite a large bruise on your lower back and I think that the swelling that comes with it is pressing against your spinal column. This won't allow the nerves in there to function properly which means that your brain can't send the signal to your legs to move. At least that's what I hope it is that is causing the paralysis."

"You hope?" Diego was puzzled. That woman was actually hoping for him to be paralyzed?

"Indeed. As this is your only chance to possibly regain the use of your legs. However, there's also the possibility that your spine is broken, which means that you'll never walk again."

"I don't like either," he said sternly but felt his strength fading. He still ran quite a high fever and it was taking its toll on him. Closing his eyes, he tried to force the dizziness away that was trying to pull him back into the blackness of sleep. But he couldn't allow it to claim him just yet. "How and more importantly when will I know whether this is a temporary condition or not?"

"I'm afraid only time will tell. But if it is any consolation – I think it's only temporary. The muscles in your back are very well built and thus they are doing a great job of supporting your spine. A man of weaker stature probably wouldn't have survived anyway." Now having said everything she had felt the need to say, Ana withdrew her hand and got up. "You really should rest now, Don Diego. If you promise to lie still, I'll wait with redressing your wound. I'll get you some more tea and then you should be able to rest. We still need to get that fever down." He only offered a weak nod as a reply and Ana returned to the main room only to come back a short while later balancing a tea tray. She poured him a cup and helped him sip some of the steaming liquid, noticing that his fever was rising again.

"You never answered my question," Diego stated as soon as he was once again resting against the soft pillows.

"I don't like to answer questions I don't know the answer to," Ana said knowing exactly what he was referring to.

"Please. I need to know. Tell me something – anything!" he begged, his feverish eyes pleading with her.

"Honestly, I don't know. If the paralysis is temporary it could take any length of time until you can feel your legs again. Maybe a few days, a couple of weeks or even months…"

"Or maybe never", he interrupted her, closing his eyes, shutting himself out from the world around him.

"Or maybe never", Ana quietly confirmed his fears. She waited for a little while longer until his breathing had calmed and he was taking even breaths, indicating that he had finally fallen asleep. "Rest now and get well. There are people out there who still need you", she whispered and one single tear escaped her dark eye and rolled down her cheek. She cursed herself for that moment of weakness, turned on her heels and left the bedroom to run outside into the coolness of the winter morning. Memories of days long past invaded her mind and took her breath away. With unseeing eyes she stared out into the plains of Alta California, but the only thing she saw, was blood. Innocent blood seeping out of innocent bodies as two innocent souls slowly faded into the shadows of death. There was nothing she could have done. No matter how hard she tried, how desperately she tried to stop the constant flowing of red rivers. All that she had ever loved, that she had ever fought for was dying underneath her fingers. When those last breaths had been breathed, when eyes had looked their last and lips had whispered their last loving words, she died with them. But unlike them, she had been condemned to continue wandering the earthly realm, a mere shell of her former self. All that remained was a single soul torn apart, fearing to ever love again, afraid of ever letting anybody close enough again, to take hold of her heart. So she had shut the world out, had left it to spend the rest of her days on earth on her own to spare herself and others any more pain.

Reality replaced the horrific images in her mind, when she had shed all her tears and her entire body was trembling violently from the cold. Wiping the last salty drops from her cheeks, she got up and forced her numb legs to carry her towards the corral, where an agitated Águila stood behind the fence whinnying loudly to get her attention. Ana forced a small smile upon her lips as she approached the white Andalusian mare that had been a loyal fried to her for many years. Softly she stroked the long neck, buried her fingers in the long mane and leaned her head against Águila's larger one.

"It's okay", she whispered to Águila smiling sadly against the comforting warmth of the horse's nose. "You know how I get sometimes." Ana took a few steps back and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I hope, he's behaving," she said and eyed Toronado suspiciously who was watching the mare and her owner curiously. It almost sounded like laughter when Águila gave a soft whinny. "Good", Ana smiled sadly. "I have to go back inside and check on Toronado's friend. I'm afraid he'll stay quite bit longer, than the both of us should like." Ana kissed the back of Águila's nose and slowly went back inside. When she closed the door behind her, she risked a look into the mirror hanging above a small chest of drawers. Her eyes were puffy and red while the rest of her face was quite pale, her lips had turned blue and were trembling. "Quite a sight you are", she mocked her own appearance and turned away from this hated piece of furniture. Walking toward the fireplace she risked a glance through the open bedroom door. The man on her bed was sleeping peacefully – at least he appeared to be. There were chores waiting for her. She still needed to hang the herbs to dry that she had collected the previous morning. Oil lamps needed to be refilled, bread had to be baked, a broth needed to be cooked for her patient. A full day of hard work was waiting for her to be begun, but some weird feeling deep inside her held her back from fulfilling her duties. There was a longing she hadn't felt in years. She tried hard to fight it off, to not let it break through the walls she had so carefully built around her heart and soul. It was that longing for another soul, the longing to show and maybe even receive compassion that was threatening to tear those walls down. Deep in her heart she knew that if there was anyone out there, who would understand and not judge, it was the man lying in her bed, fighting against a fever that still had the power to claim his life. However, she wouldn't allow it, wouldn't allow him to die on her. In all her years as a physician's wife, she had learned everything there was to know about the human body, how it worked and what needed to be done to help it heal. Pablo had been a good teacher.

Ana forced herself to work. Refilling the oil lamps was a quickly finished task, as was hanging the herbs to dry. However, slaughtering one of her hens, plucking its feathers and eventually cooking it along with some freshly chopped vegetables took her quite a while. After she had hung the kettle over the fire she went to check on Diego. He was still sleeping his breathing was even and the fever had neither gone up nor down. Satisfied by what she saw, she went back into the kitchen and took the flour jar from the shelf. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw her last loaf of bread which was only missing a small piece. It would last for another day or two, she was sure of it. Ana put the jar back and poured herself a glass of water. Leaning back against the kitchen counter she drank a few small sips and decided that the baking could wait for another day or two. After she had finished her drink she went over to the old armchair and took her book from the coffee table right next to it. Holding it against her breast she went into the bedroom and watched Diego's sleep for a while. His face was still very pale, but at least he was still sleeping peacefully and wasn't bothered by those violent fever cramps from the previous night. She sat down on a chair at the other end of the room and began flipping through the pages and – as usual – with her fingertips caressed one specific page in the book with a gentle and loving softness that only a lover could give. For a moment she closed her eyes and tried to remember the sound of Pablo's voice when he had read those very lines to her. The memory was painful, but filled her soul with the memories of a love that even death hadn't been able to take from her. In her heart Pablo was still very much alive and she cherished these precious moments, when thoughts of him made her soul feel safe, loved, and warm. Forcefully she jerked herself back into the here and now as she opened her eyes to continue her reading. Her eyelids grew heavy and soon sleep laid a soft and welcoming blanket of much needed rest around her.

When she awoke it had already turned dark outside. The last candle in the room had burnt down and the flame was slowly dying in the holder. Ana stretched her stiff limbs and got up. The book fell from her lap as she did so and she cursed under her breath, angry with herself that she'd been so careless with her most prized possession. Hoping that she would not disturb Diego's sleep she sneaked past the bed and was on her way back to the main room, when the unexpected sound of his voice held her back.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in an attempt not to scare her. Ana stopped dead in her tracks and turned toward the bed.

"Whatever for?" she asked in surprise.

"For all the inconveniences of my being here. I would leave immediately if I could. But I am afraid that I cannot." Diego's voice was quiet and sincere.

"Are you hungry?" Ana felt uncomfortable when he spoke to her like this. He was trying to break her walls, she was sure of it. There just was no other explanation for his almost annoying politeness. For a few moments, while he was obviously at a lack of an answer, there was a disturbing silence hovering in the room and Ana secretly regretted ignoring his statement of thanks and apparent appreciation for what a complete stranger was doing for him.

"Maybe a little," he said after a while and Ana was glad, that he'd given her a reason to leave the room.

AN: Thank you for your reviews. I'm really glad that you enjoy this story. To tell you the truth – those reviews make my day. ;-)

N-girl: Glad you like her. Can't tell you whether Diego will fall for her or maybe she'll fall for him? I don't know. ;-)

mychakk: Well, it was pretty obvious that he probably wouldn't be able to feel his legs. What happened to Ana will have to remain my secret for a little while longer, though. ;-)

jkl88: Thank you for the confirmation. My new DVD player will hopefully arrive tomorrow, so checking those DVDs for reference shouldn't be a problem anymore. Thank you for your reviews. I'm glad you like the story.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Thank you all so much for your kind reviews. Reading them makes writing this story even more fun.

This chapter should clear at least some of the fog around Ana. I cannot yet tell you what it really is about her. All in good time.

katie1999: Thanks for your review. This had to be a NWZ fanfiction as I am not familiar with the Disney version. ;-) Actually I never even knew there was one. Shame on me. You'll find out more about Ana in this chapter. Whether I will match them, has to remain my secret. An answer to that would give away a good deal of the plot. ;-) But here's a hint for you. Check the genre for this story.

knotheadsrus: Thank you for review and for your comment on my English. I'm still not feeling very confident writing in English as I haven't done that in more than ten years. So thank you again.

To all other reviewers: my heartfelt thanks. You brighten my day.

**Chapter Six**

"Can you believe that boy?" Alejandro de la Vega stormed furiously into Victoria's tavern with a distraught Felipe high at his heels. The older man was waving a piece of parchment high above his head as he approached the stunned innkeeper. "I can't believe my loins brought forth such a sorry excuse for a de la Vega! This is preposterous!" The elderly Don came to an abrupt halt in front of the bar, fuming with anger. Felipe stopped dead in his tracks right behind him, watching the other man nervously.

"Buenos Dias, Don Alejandro. I wonder what could agitate a man like you in such manner." Victoria didn't wait for any orders from the man and instantly poured him a glass of wine. Alejandro took the glass from her and gulped its entire content down at once.

"My son!" he eventually exclaimed. "He's been missing for eight days now. And out of nowhere there's suddenly this" again he waved the parchment now in right in front of Victoria's nose "sitting on my desk!"

"May I?" Victoria asked and took the parchment from Don Alejandro without waiting for a reply. She read the letter.

_Dear Father,_

_Please accept my sincerest apologies for leaving without any word of goodbye. However, Rafael de la Vega, my dear cousin and your nephew, has requested my presence in San Francisco where he and his lovely wife Margarita recently moved to aid him in establishing his business there. He said that it might take a few weeks to get all his affairs settled. As I am very fond of Miguel I hastened to San Francisco. Please accept my heartfelt apologies._

_Sincerely,_

_Diego_

"You should be glad, Don Alejandro. At least now we know where he is!" Victoria exclaimed after she had finished reading Diego's letter.

"Of course I'm glad and relieved beyond anything. But why hasn't he sent word earlier? I was worried sick! I thought he'd been kidnapped or even worse dead!"

"Maybe the coach was delayed once again and the letter just couldn't be delivered earlier. I am certain that Don Diego would never want to worry you like this on purpose" Victoria came up with an explanation for Diego's strange behavior.

"He should have told me still. This is so not like him. My studious son all of a sudden has become a man of action" Alejandro grumbled, while Victoria poured him another glass of wine.

"Try to think of it this way, Don Alejandro. At least he is alright. I was worried for him, too, you know. It is weird how you miss someone you're used to seeing every day when he is suddenly not around." Throughout the previous days Victoria had noticed how much Diego de la Vega actually meant to her. He was her friend, her best friend at that and she felt like a very important part of her life was suddenly missing, when he was not around. She appreciated his thoughtfulness and gentleness both of which made him the unique and outstanding man, everyone in the pueblo including her and very apparently his own father seemed to underestimate and overlook most of the time.

Felipe, who had sat down at Diego's favorite table by the pillar close to the bar, watched the two of them intently. It had been him who had written that letter and put it on Don Alejandro's desk in his study. It had been him who had forged Diego's handwriting so perfectly well, that not even his own father could tell the difference. It had been him who'd built up a tower of lies, that could easily tumble down upon him should Don Alejandro decide to send word to his nephew who had supposedly moved from Santa Barbara to San Francisco. And now it was him who had to struggle with the fear and anxiety of Diego's safety and whereabouts. Felipe had decided to take this course of action to protect the secret identity of his adoptive father. And now he had to pay the price for it. As loneliness was the price usually Diego had to pay each and every day, it was now upon Felipe to endure the uncertainty about Diego all by himself.

**zZzZz**

Diego was sleeping when Ana came into the bedroom with his lunch tray. Quietly she set it down on the nightstand and proceeded to check on the wound on his stomach. Careful not to disturb him in his still much needed sleep, she drew back the covers and pulled up his shirt.

"That's cold", his very sleepy voice suddenly echoed through the small room and startled her.

"Sorry for the inconvenience", she snapped without looking at him and continued to undress the wound. "Not all of us can live in luxurious haciendas with fireplaces in each room and any number of servants and conveniences at their disposal."

"That's not what I meant." Diego was more awake now and tried to sit up, so that she would have less trouble removing his bandages. "Your hands are cold. And you look tired. Don't you think you should rest a little more?" He was genuinely concerned for her.

"I'm fine", she lied and was relieved when she could finally bring some more distance between him and herself. Tossing the used bandage aside she fixed her eyes on the wound in an attempt to avoid his. "Well, I think I can remove those stitches now." Taking a few steps back from the bed and its occupant she added "I'll be right back" and practically stormed out of the room.

Diego looked after her, shaking his head in disbelief. Why was she so nervous and generally unfriendly when at the same time there was obviously enough goodness and compassion within her that she would take pity on a total stranger, take him into her home and nurse him back to health?

He remembered seeing her in the pueblo every once in a while. He had watched her buying supplies she obviously couldn't provide for herself – such things as lamp oil, candles, flour and other necessities of everyday life. However, no one else ever seemed to be aware of the strange lady. No one ever talked to her and she avoided larger groups of people. No one had ever seen her in the tavern nor at church and so she had basically been declared an outcast. People ignored her and she ignored them.

Ana was probably somewhere in her early thirties, her raven hair showing first streaks of gray while there was a little more roundness to her body, than was considered fashionable. Her round face had an unexplainable aura of nobility but the beautiful features were dimmed by a constant reflection of an old grief in her dark eyes.

What also puzzled him about her was her extensive knowledge of medicine that exceeded his own by far, something he didn't expect to find in a woman of their time. From the way she had sutured the large gap on his stomach the musket ball had left there he could tell, that she had not done that for the first time.

But there was something else he was wondering about. Why had she never mentioned anything about him being Zorro? She had never asked for his name and yet she knew it and thus seemed to know everything about him, whereas he knew nothing about her except for her name.

Diego let himself fall back against the pillows and closed his eyes. Even after nearly ten days in Ana's house he was still a lot weaker than he cared to admit and the fact that he still couldn't feel his legs was more than just a bit disturbing. Images of his loved ones haunted him in his few waking hours. They didn't know where he was, what had happened to him and were most likely worried sick about him by now and there was just no way for him to send them any sign or note that he was still alive. Tears of frustration threatened to escape his tightly closed lids when he heard her coming back. Obviously thinking that he had fallen asleep she moved very quietly. Diego gulped down hard attempting to calm himself down a bit.

"I didn't mean to be rude", he whispered when the lump in his throat had finally disappeared. "I'm just not accustomed to be on the receiving end of a helping hand."

"I'll remove the stitches on your stomach now", she stated, choosing to ignore his words. "Try to lie still. This is going to sting a bit." Ana carefully cut the stitches with a pair of small scissors and then slowly pulled them out, trying to not inflict any more pain on him than necessary. The slight tensing of his muscles told her, that she wasn't quite as successful as she would have wanted to be. If there was one thing she hated more than anything, it was inflicting pain one someone else. "I'm sorry." Her whispered words were hardly audible and she did her best to finish the task at hand as quickly as she could. When she was done she checked the edges of the wound but the skin had grown together nicely and any signs of a previous infection had disappeared. For a brief second a satisfied smile parted her lips, but it vanished again as soon as she applied the ointment to further prevent the still very tender wound to become inflamed once again. She put a clean cloth on top of it and started to wrap a clean bandage around Diego's abdomen.

The moment Diego propped himself up on his elbows to allow her easier access, he could literally feel the tension building up in her again. Her movements were no longer swift and seemed rather stiff and even a bit uncoordinated instead. Being close to someone obviously made her more nervous than he deemed necessary under the circumstances, as he was fairly certain that in his current condition he didn't constitute much of a threat. And yet he could almost physically feel her relief when she had fastened the bandage and stepped back from the bed.

"Thank you", he said and tried to further substantiate his appreciation for everything she was doing for him by giving her a warm, however weak smile. "I'd surely be dead if it weren't for you."

"Probably so", she agreed and to his surprise her voice completely lacked the harsh undertone it usually had. "I left your lunch on the nightstand", she said pointing towards the tray she had placed there earlier. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Answers. I need answers", he suddenly blurted out and regretted his words the moment they'd been spoken. But it was too late.

"To what?" Her hands began to tremble visibly and she cursed herself for not being able to keep herself under control.

"You never said a word about me being Zorro. Why? You have revealed the one secret I am not willing to share and you never even mention it. Everybody else would've bombarded me with questions but not you! Which brings me to the next question. Who are you? You live out here all by yourself. You never talk to anyone when you come to the pueblo every now and then and seem to be quite content with everybody ignoring you. How can you live like this? What has happened to you that you have become this strange loner when you obviously have so much to give? I'm bound to this bed without a chance to escape and I am completely at your mercy. At any given time you could just ride out, find some lancers and have me arrested which would be a very sensible thing to do. There's a price of six thousand pesos on my head. Did you know that?" Breathing rather heavily now Diego paused for a short moment but kept his gaze fixed upon her. "Ana, please! Why don't you just tell me who you really are?" He stared at her trembling hands then looked back to her eyes that were filled with tears.

"I am Ana", she whispered after a while. "And you are safe here." With that said, she ran out of the bedroom.

"Ana please! Come back!" Diego yelled after her. "I didn't mean to hurt you!" He heard the front door being opened and then thrown shut again. "Well done, Diego. Well done, indeed", he sighed and sincerely hoped that he had not destroyed his probably only chance to find out, who his savior really was.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: This chapter was very difficult to write and I really just want to warn you all. There are a lot of emotions coming up in this one as well as some details about a certain woman's past, that some of you might find disturbing. So consider yourselves warned.

Calamity Carol: Thank you so much for asking. My dental appointment went well. However, I've got a tooth ache ever since and I'm afraid the next appointment is going to be rather sooner than later. I also want to thank you for your very detailed review. I really don't wanna give too much away, but I think this chapter should please you. I hope you've completely recovered from your riding accident and that it didn't stop you from getting on the horse again.

**Chapter Seven**

It was late at night when Ana returned. There was a quiet creaking sound echoing through the silence of the house when she opened the door, arousing Diego from his restless sleep. While his mind had been troubled, his body had forced the rest upon him that it still needed in order to heal. The bedroom door was standing ajar and he watched her as she tiptoed past it. There were no lights in either room but the shadow of her told him everything about what she'd been through in the past hours. A single lamp was lit in the other room before he heard her pour water into a kettle and then start a fire underneath it in the fireplace. When he heard her approaching the bedroom door, he quickly closed his eyes, hoping she would feel more comfortable knowing that with him sleeping there was no risk of him interrogating her on her past any further. He could hear her slip into the room and coming towards the bed. Diego knew that he'd wronged her terribly and he would have given anything for a chance to take back his many words that had left his lips completely passing by his common courtesy.

Diego suppressed a shocked gasp, when he suddenly felt her cold touch to his forehead. Even though his fever had broken four days ago she was obviously still worried, that it might come back. He heard her heaving a sigh of relief when she found that his temperature was normal and expected her to leave at any moment, but she didn't. Instead she kept standing right next to the bed. Diego could feel her eyes linger on him while she was contemplating what to do next. He knew that it was time to change his bandages but after the events earlier that day she probably didn't want to wake him.

"You are a complicated man, Diego de la Vega. Do you know that?" Her voice was hoarse and shaky when she spoke and he could hear that she found it difficult to hold back her tears. "You just burst into my life without so much as a warning and you expect me to open up to you? Just like this? Don't you think there's a reason for all of this?" She stopped and he could almost physically feel her struggle against unseen demons that were haunting her. He heard her retreat from the bed and tiptoe towards the chair in the far corner of the room. "I once had a husband and a son," she whispered in a husky voice hardly audible from the short distance between them. "We were on our way from Monterey to Santa Barbara, where we used to live, when the nightmare began. We were a few miles out of Santa Ynez where we wanted to spend the night at the house of Pablo's uncle. There weren't too many travelers on the road but we never heard them approach. Our son Miguel was sleeping peacefully in my arms when out of nowhere a band of banditos galloped towards us." She paused and the echoes of a stifled sob were lingering in the room for a few minutes. Tears were streaming down her cheeks freely now and she desperately fought to regain her composure. "They first shot at Pablo. With him out of the way, they probably thought it easier to rob us of what little we had. The bullet hit him straight in the chest and its impact threw him off his horse. Of course Miguel woke up from all that noise and started screaming at the top of his little lungs. I held him tightly to myself, but they wouldn't stop for a mother and her child. There were two more shots. One bullet hit my poor baby straight into his little head, the other grazed my shoulder. We were both thrown off the carriage and were immediately surrounded by the banditos. One of them tore my baby out of my arms, while another one held his pistol against my temple. They threw Miguel into a bush as though he were nothing but a nuisance and in their way. The one with the pistol… he held me down with his knees on my shoulders while he tried to silence my constant sobs by hitting me hard in the face. I watched as his companion unbuttoned his pants and then everything went black." Ana's entire body was trembling violently while she was telling her story, her words constantly disrupted by her tears. "When I woke up my clothes were torn and I felt what they had done to me, but I had to get to my baby. I saw his little leg under that bush and I crawled there on my hands and knees. When I had him in my arms – he wasn't breathing anymore. My world almost stopped spinning right then and there but then I heard Pablo's raspy voice. He was dragging himself toward me through the dust, covering his wound with his hand. I don't know how I managed, but I got to his side with our baby in my arms and I tried to stop the bleeding. I tried so badly. But it just wouldn't stop. I don't remember when his breathing stopped. I just sat there with his head in my lap and our son in my arms."

With his back still turned her way Diego was listening intently. He had suspected that something terrible had happened to Ana in her past, but he never could have guessed the severity of the events and he was fairly certain that this had been the first time that she had actually talked about it – even if it was to supposedly sleeping stranger. And now, finally he began to understand why she lived her life the way she did, why she was acting towards him the way she did, why she couldn't let anyone near her. But what was he supposed to do now? Should he speak up and reveal to her, that he'd been listing to her and risk that she would run from him yet again. Or should he keep his quiet and keep up his pretence of sleep. His heart told him to just take her in his arms, to comfort her and give her a glimpse of a world that did not only consist of murder, violence, and heartbreak. However, what could he do to stop her from running when she realized that he had heard everything she had said?

Ana's sobbing had ceased a little and he heard her getting up from her seat and slowly walking past the bed toward the door. Diego clenched his fists underneath the covers in frustration as he watched her sneaking out of the room with one eye open. He wished that he could just follow her and offer her his arms for comfort, but he still didn't feel a thing in his legs and he silently cursed his own dire condition.

To his surprise Ana returned to the bedroom carrying a tea tray. She set it down on the chest of drawers and then turned toward him. Diego quickly closed his eyes faking sleep once more.

"Don Diego," her voice was still hoarse and bore the evidence of the many tears she had been crying in the previous hours. Diego's heart was beating nervously as he opened his eyes and looked at her. She had turned away from him and was about to light the lamp on the nightstand. "We need to change the bandages," she added quietly, only assuming that he would hear her. Diego nodded uncertain of what he should say. So he sat up in bed and unbuttoned his shirt to allow her access to his bandages. He could feel her hesitation before she began to remove the white cotton fabric that she had so expertly wound around his torso the previous day. It was now or never and seeing the dark circles underneath her red puffy eyes suddenly made a decision on what he was to do very easy. Slowly and deliberately he leaned toward her and took her trembling hand in his. She let out a gasp of utter shock but to his great surprise, she didn't pull back. Her dark brown eyes locked with his own blue ones and for a moment they seemed to look into each other's souls. An eternity seemed to pass them by and when her lips eventually started to tremble, Diego pulled her close to him and embraced her tightly with his arms. Burying her face against his shoulder she wept uncontrollably for what seemed like hours.

"Shh," Diego tried to calm her and kept stroking the back of her head with his one hand while with his other arm he held her close to himself. He knew that there were no words of comfort for that kind of grief and he just let her cry until there weren't any more tears to be shed. Eventually she pulled back just a little and he could see that realization was dawning on her.

"You heard, didn't you?" It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

"You must be disgusted by me," she whispered and quickly jumped up from the bed and turned to leave the room, but Diego's hand around her wrist held her back.

"I am disgusted it's true. But not by you Ana. How could I be? You were the victim and not the one to be blamed for everything that has happened to you and your family."

"I couldn't save them, Diego. My son died in my arms and I couldn't help him. And my husband he… he…," she stopped midsentence and tried desperately to stop the tears from falling, that were beginning to well up in her already burning eyes. "He could have lived. If I had woken earlier, if I had gone to him first and not Miguel he'd probably have lived. But I didn't!" The last three words came out in a desperate shout, which resulted in Diego holding onto her hand even more tightly.

"It wasn't your fault, Ana. The men who attacked you are the only ones to blame for their deaths," he tried to reason with her but he knew that he wasn't getting through to her.

"I should have died with them. I should be with them. But I am still here and I don't know why! What have I done that God punishes me in such a cruel way?" She let herself fall down onto the bed and sat close to Diego who was trying not to wince from the searing pain in his back her sudden movement had caused.

"You have done nothing wrong, Ana, and neither can God be blamed for this. Those bandits are the only ones responsible for what they did to you and your family. And you are alive, because you still have to fulfill a purpose in this life, even if you might not yet know which one." Trying to reassure her he rested his hand on her shoulder, stroking it with his thumb. When she eventually nodded he let go of her to give her a chance to recollect herself.

"We still need to change those bandages," Ana said after a while and forced herself to smile just a little for a very brief moment. Diego nodded, knowing that any more words from him would probably destroy her newly found trust to him. She worked as quietly and efficiently as usual and soon the daily routine of removing the bandages was accomplished. "I don't think that there's a need for any more bandages. It looks very good and with any luck there will only be a thin scar remaining."

"Thank you," Diego smiled at her and was rather taken aback when she returned it. Ana turned to the chest of drawers and poured him a cup of her herbal tea and handed it to Diego who accepted it gratefully.

"You should get some sleep now," she whispered and was about to walk out of the room when Diego held her back once more. Knowing perfectly well, that what he was about to suggest was far from being appropriate he hesitated for a brief moment before he spoke. Something deep inside of him told him that neither of them should be alone that night and that they would both find comfort in each other's presence.

"You cannot sleep in that armchair forever, Ana. The bed is big enough for the two of us and I feel terrible about keeping you from your much needed rest. As it seems you know a lot more about me than many others and thus you should know, that I would never harm you in any way." He didn't quite know why he was so nervous all of a sudden. All he knew for a fact was that he didn't want to cut the frail bond of trust between them by doing anything stupid.

Ana still had her back turned towards him when he offered her the one thing she desired the most. No one had so much as shaken her hand in the previous nearly seven years since her family had been taken from her as she had pushed everyone out of her life. This had left her with a constant yearning for a little warmth and compassion and every time she dwelled on these thoughts for just a little too long, her heart seemed to explode from the emptiness and loneliness her life had become.

Setting the tea tray down again, she slowly turned towards the bed and looked him in the eyes as if she was trying to find any signs of dishonesty in them and when Diego held his hand out to her, she accepted it without further question.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Diego could feel her fear and hesitation as she slowly walked to the other side of the bed. Ana got out of her shoes, lifted the covers and quickly slid underneath them. Lying as close as possible to the edge without falling off the mattress she quickly drew the covers up to her nose and closed her eyes. Diego watched her. Her back was turned towards him and the free space between them would have easily accommodated at least one more person. He leaned back against his pillows with his eyes fixed on her shoulders. At first he didn't notice but quite soon the slight trembling of the covers' fabrics told him that she was crying. Even though she didn't make a sound it was her body that betrayed her self-control and made it possible for Diego to get a glimpse of the raging struggle that was going on inside her. He tried to avoid any sudden movements as he leaned over to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. His touch made her cringe but other than that there was no reaction from her.

"I won't hurt you," Diego whispered softly and hoped ardently that she would find the courage to turn around and face him. "I swear." At first she didn't move, didn't give any sign that she'd heard him but after a few moments that seemed to last forever she turned to lie flat on her back and looked at him with dark and tired eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked incredulously never taking her gaze from his blue eyes. "I'm not worth the effort," she added finally lowering her eyes to study the pattern of her covers.

"Even if it were an effort – you are more than worth it," he said in a hushed voice that did not tolerate any dissent.

"How can you say that?" Ana gasped, ignoring the undertone in his voice. "You are the only living person that knows what has happened to me and I feel horrible about that as it is. There is no need for you to lie to me any further and tell me that it was not my fault." She got angry now. "As a matter of fact," Ana suddenly sat up in bed and glared down at him "you betrayed my trust, Senor de la Vega! I was only telling you all these things because I was under the impression that you were sleeping and wouldn't hear a single word I said." She jumped out of the bed and quickly put her shoes on.

"Don't you dare to walk out on me now!" Diego was equally angry now – both with himself and with her. He had pushed things – he knew it – but she was behaving quite irrationally. "You will stay right here and you will listen to what I've got to say!"

"What makes you think that you are in any position to give me orders?"

"Oh, I don't know. Hmmm, let's see. Firstly because if you were to leave that room now I couldn't follow you as you very well know. Secondly because you let your grief and your pain control your life which I understand but you cannot live like this forever!"

"Says who?! The man who's been spending the last five years hiding his true self from his family, from his friends, and from the love of his life? Is that very man trying to teach me a lesson on how to live life to its fullest?"

"No that man is not doing that and this conversation is not about that man – it's about you!" Now it was Diego's turn to get angry he quickly sat up in bed and winced from both another bolt of searing pain in his lower back as well as from the skin stretching around his still quite tender stomach wound.

"I told you that I won't stitch up that gash on your stomach again! If you reopen it – you're on your own, senor!" Ana yelled, noticing his grimace of pain.

"It wouldn't be the first time," he snapped still trying to get his breathing under control.

"So I've noticed. Some of these old scars bear evidence of rather poor craftsmanship." Fuming she crossed her arms in front of her chest and avoided his eyes.

"Ana," Diego said after a while and looked intently at her. His voice had dropped to his usual calm tone. "You saved my life and I'm forever in your debt for this. I may not be able to walk, but at least I'm breathing and thinking and talking. But I am also scared," he admitted as he tried to reason with her, but she still wouldn't look at him.

"Ever since you brought me here …" he stopped midsentence and looked down on his hands. "Never mind," he whispered and let himself fall back into the pillows. An awkward silence hung in the room for quite a while. Diego had tried to get through to her and he had failed. Her reaction to his well meant gesture of comfort had taken him completely by surprise and had also deprived him of his courage to speak his mind about something else. Now he was just lying there, hoping that she would leave the room and him be. But she didn't. She just kept standing by the foot of the bed uncertain of what to do. Her mind was racing while her heart gave her very different signals on what she should do. She wanted to flee, to run from the pain of her past and the closeness she was beginning to feel toward the man in her bed. When she was condemning herself he was trying to give her comfort and deep down inside she knew that she could trust him, that he would never take advantage of her vulnerability, that he accepted her for who she was.

"What?" the single word sliced through the heavy silence.

"Never mind," Diego repeated himself, mumbling the words against the fabric of the covers. He was beat, he was weak and all of a sudden he was frightened to utter the thoughts that would have spilled out a few moments earlier.

"Diego…" she tried to convince him with a gentle voice and slowly walked back to her side of the bed, so that she could face him. Again very close to the edge of the mattress she laid down rolled onto her side and rested her head on her elbow. Her gaze rested on his closed eyes while she was waiting for him to explain himself.

"Ever since I came here I got the feeling that there's someone who actually understands what it is like to live the life I'm living. I've devoted myself to Zorro and his cause of my own free will and yet the price I'm paying for living this double life often seems too high," he said without opening his eyes. Taking a deep breath in, he continued. "Sometimes it seems as though all my fighting is in vain. I mean, I know that I keep the Alcalde at bay, that he would be even crueler to the people of the pueblo if it weren't for Zorro. But it just never stops. I put my life on hold the moment I put that damned mask on my face." He shook his head in a feeble attempt to banish the unwelcome tears that were threatening to escape his tightly shut lids. "As long as I am wearing it, people respect me, some of them probably even fear me. And when I take it off, there's just plain old Diego, the man everybody in the pueblo is laughing about and they think he doesn't notice. Do you know how much it hurts, when your father calls you a coward? Do you know how much it hurts when the love of your life tells you straight to the face that you're not exactly what she has in mind for a husband, when she's been passionately kissing you only a few hours earlier? I'm beginning to believe that she's really in love with the legend I created and that she wouldn't be capable of loving the man of flesh and blood. I've given her so many clues – both as Zorro and Don Diego – but she just refuses to see."

"To see who?" Ana interrupted him and was glad when he finally opened his eyes to look at her. "Who do you want them to see, Diego? Zorro or plain old Diego? Or maybe even someone else?"

"I… I… I don't know. Both of them are nothing but a mask, a disguise I'm using to hide the real Diego de la Vega to keep those I love out of harm's way," he admitted and suddenly found it very difficult to stand her imploring stare. "Sometimes I just feel as though I don't know who I am anymore."

"I know the feeling," Ana mused and without realizing it her hand had found his and had begun to gently stroke it.

"With you everything is so different. I mean, you're not exactly the easiest person to be around," he smirked but quickly became serious again "but you gifted me with the exquisite pleasure of allowing me to be myself and I don't know if I'm willing to give that up. I do want to return to the pueblo, to Felipe, to my father and above all to Victoria. But I'm not sure whether I can keep up my act for much longer. It's just too tiring. I want them to see the real me, but I don't know how I can make them see and understand. And then sometimes I think, that it's not worth the effort, that the real Diego de la Vega is not worth the effort. After all he's nothing more than an outlaw that has taken justice into his own hands and fools everybody close to him." Diego lost his fight. Tears were running freely now and he angrily dashed them away from his cheeks with his hand.

"Even if it were an effort – you are more than worth it," using his own words against him and gifted him with one of her rare smiles.

"That's not fair," he grumbled but had to smile.

"No, maybe it's not. But it is still the truth." She moved a little closer to him so that they came face to face. "Maybe you just need some time to figure out who you really are. Maybe you've been playing the both of you so perfectly well, that the real you doesn't dare to come to the surface, Diego. Maybe you scared yourself away because you're afraid that the Diego you're hiding is too vulnerable and too fragile to let anybody see him. At least that's what I kept seeing when I watched you in the pueblo."

"You were watching me?" Diego gasped in surprise and suddenly all tears ran dry.

"The life I'm living teaches you one thing, Diego. Always be observant. Most people are so occupied with their own lives that they are oblivious to both the beauties and the dangers of the world they're living in. I could never afford that luxury. A long time ago I excluded myself from society and thus it became dangerous for me. This forced me to always walk around with my eyes and ears open, so that I could stay hidden in plain sight. That's also why I've known for years who Zorro really is," Ana explained.

"You knew?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"I have eyes to see." Ana stated and gave him another small smile. "You really should rest now, Diego. Try to get some sleep."

Even though he would have liked to argue with her, he knew that she was right. He found it hard to keep his eyes open and the still very present threat of tears in his eyes made staying awake no easier.

"Promise that you won't run," he whispered and closed his eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

At first it was an unfamiliar scent that slowly made its way into her dreams, almost immediately followed by comforting warmth that slowly invaded her sleep. With her eyes still closed she could distinguish the first rays of sunlight illuminating her small bedroom. She did not want to wake, refused to let the coziness of the moment be taken from her and so she snuggled up to the one lying next to her, took in his scent and tried to go back to sleep. However, memories of their previous night's conversation began struggling with her need to stay in that very moment and no matter how hard she wished for the world to just stop spinning for a few more moments, her conscience eventually won. Sighing deeply she opened her eyes to the real world and was quite a bit surprised when she found a pair of blue eyes looking at her.

"Good morning," Diego said, his voice still rough from sleep and smiled at her. "Did you sleep well?"

"Good morning," Ana replied with an equally rough voice but jerked awake instantly when she realized that during the night she had obviously come way to close to Diego. "I'm so sorry!" she mumbled and quickly got of bed. "I'll make you some breakfast," she stated and was about to leave the room when Diego's voice held her back.

"What exactly is it that you are apologizing for?" he queried and looked at her curiously.

"Tonight I'll sleep in the armchair," she said, hoping that he would just leave it at that. Of course he didn't.

"That was not an answer," he stated and kept looking at her. "What is it that you are sorry for, Ana?"

"I… I… didn't mean to… you know," Ana stuttered fighting hard to maintain her composure. "I didn't mean to come that close to you. Please accept my apologies."

Diego's surprise was not feigned when he could not make sense of anything she was saying. "Ana, I don't understand!"

"Well, it wasn't appropriate to for us to spend the night together in one bed. And besides…" Tears had begun to well up in her eyes and she immediately wiped them away angrily. "Besides, I didn't want to make you feel disgusted by my presence." There. It was out.

"Whatever makes you think that I am disgusted with you?"

"Weren't you listening last night?" she almost yelled at him in her anger and her shame.

"I was listening, I was listening very closely. But obviously you were not. Despite of what you think – I am not disgusted with you. On the contrary. Your trust honors me, Ana. I don't think I could have allowed anybody to come that close to me, if I were in your place," Diego argued in an equally loud and agitated voice, as he simply refused to believe what he was hearing. "If I weren't bound to this bed I would take you to the next mirror and make you face yourself. Despite of what you think, Ana, you are one of the most beautiful persons I know – both on the inside and the outside. You put yourself down for who and what you are and you are expecting everybody else to think like you. Well, I'm afraid it doesn't work that way."

"What do you know, Diego?" she fumed and before she realized it she had approached his side of the bed and had only come to a halt when she standing right beside him. "It is not that simple. Contrary to your believes, you do not know half about me. There's so much more that has forced me into this life than you could ever imagine. So don't judge me, for you do not know who you are talking to."

"Alright. Then tell me," he demanded, holding her bewildered gaze.

"Even if I wanted to – I swore to never tell a living soul. And before you try to further persuade me, I suggest I make you some breakfast and let both our tempers cool down."

"Ana, I'm sorry. I never meant to push you. It's just…" Diego suddenly found himself at a loss for words and his struggle was almost visible.

"What, Diego?" Her voice softened considerably as she was watching him fighting to find the right words.

"I… I care about you, more than you probably think. You've given me so much, whereas I have a feeling that I cannot do anything for you in return. Not only have you saved my life, but you've also shown me what it is like to be myself. I know I've already said that last night, but it just means so much to me," Diego whispered. Suddenly he couldn't stand looking at her. For the first time in a long time he felt vulnerable, a feeling that he wasn't used to anymore since the roles he was constantly playing didn't allow him that kind of luxury. Pretending to examine the cover's pattern for any irregularities he desperately tried to hold his own tears back. "I'm beginning to ask myself whether I actually want to go back. I mean, I do miss my father and thinking that I'll never hold Victoria in my arms again nearly breaks my heart. But I can no longer live this life full of lies. I don't want to anymore. And then there's Felipe. I've been asking too much of him for the previous years. I've actually taken advantage of his handicap, by asking him to further pretend to be deaf when he really could hear. I tried to make some of my wrongs right by adopting him, by making him a part of our family officially but that will never make up for everything he's missed in his life because of me. He's most certainly come up with some sort of excuse for my prolonged absence so that my father wouldn't go looking for me. And now that poor boy is surely worried sick about me, hoping that I'm still alive while he's probably realizing that I may as well be dead by now."

"Well, then why don't you send him a message?" Ana suggested.

"And exactly how do you propose I do that?"

"Well, I don't have any carrier pigeons but there's still a gigantic black stallion outside in my corral, waiting for his master to heal. From what I've seen and heard this particular stallion is a very clever animal that usually finds his way home without someone guiding him there."

"Toronado," Diego mouthed. "Of course. I should have thought of that earlier."

"I'll get you a quill, ink and parchment," Ana smiled at him and patted his hand before she quietly turned away from him and left the room.

**zZzZz**

Don Alejandro had finally turned in for the night and with it had given Felipe the chance to escape the usual rush of daily business at the de la Vega hacienda. Quietly he sneaked to the fireplace in the library and pushed the hidden button that allowed him access to Diego's secret cave. The sudden silence surrounding him made his ears throb and he quickly made his way into the main part of the cave. For a while he just stood at the top of the stairs and stared at the equipment Diego usually used for his experiments. After a while he walked over to the large wooden desk of his father and sat down in his chair. Closing his eyes he caressed the smooth dark wood with his fingertips and conjured up images of Diego working tirelessly in this very cave, constantly trying to find either new ways of helping the people in the pueblo or new gadgets that would aid him in his fight against injustice.

However, the memories were bittersweet since Felipe still didn't know where Diego was. There'd been no word from his adoptive father for more than two weeks now and he didn't know how for much longer he could stand the uncertainty and constant sorrow about Diego. What frightened him even more was the fact that Toronado was also missing. Usually, whenever Zorro was in trouble, the black stallion would find his way back home and come to Felipe for help, but he had also vanished.

Felipe heaved a frustrated sigh and got out of Diego's chair in order to leave the cave, when he heard the familiar sound of the secret entrance to the cave being opened. With eyes and mouth wide open in anticipation he ran towards the horse box within the cave, eagerly awaiting Diego and Toronado. He didn't have to wait for long.

Almost immediately the black stallion appeared out of the darkness and whinnied affectionately when he saw Felipe. The young man smiled at the large horse, but couldn't hold back a gasp of surprise when he noticed that Diego was not on Toronado's back. The horse's saddle and bridles were also missing and panic was beginning to rise within Felipe when he discovered a rolled up piece of parchment dangling loosely from a stripe of black silk that had been woven into the horse's mane. With shaky hands Felipe freed the parchment put it in his pocket and rushed to get Toronado a bucket of oats and some fresh water before he retreated to the desk where he sat down and unrolled the letter.

_My dear Felipe,_

_I must apologize for not sending word sooner. I know how worried you must be and it troubles me deeply to know that I am putting you through so much emotional turmoil. _

_Two weeks ago I got into an ambush. A group of six bandidos attacked me. I was shot and Toronado threw me. My death would have been inevitable if it hadn't been to a most generous senora who has saved my life. Unfortunately my spinal column was also hurt which left me in a state of paralysis. Whether this is a temporary condition or not remains to be seen. _

_This is also the reason why it is impossible for me to return to the pueblo as soon as I would like to. Without any feelings in my lower extremities I am bound to stay in bed. _

_Even though Senora Ana is taking care of me in the most splendid way, I do miss you, my son. I suppose we both always knew that such an unforeseen turn of events might occur, but it is always a surprise when it actually happens. _

_For now I am safe, rest assured of it. I cannot tell you where I am, since I don't really know, but Toronado will find his way back here. Senora Ana has kindly agreed that you can join Toronado should you wish to do so. _

_Please be safe._

_Love, Diego_

**zZzZz**

The first rays of sunlight were beginning to illuminate the small bedroom when Diego's eyes slowly fluttered open. For the first time in quite a while he had slept well. No nightmares had been haunting him in his sleep and for a moment he pondered whether he should go back to sleep. As in the previous couple of nights Ana had once again snuggled up against him and was sleeping soundly, with her head resting on his chest. He had his arm around her, holding her to himself in quite a protective way. A smile crossed his face as he was listening to her hardly audible snoring. An early morning rarely ever held such peace for him and he closed his eyes and cherished the innocence and beauty of these fleeting moments.

About half an hour later Ana stirred and Diego placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. Ana needed a moment or two to contemplate her surroundings and when she realized that she had yet again come that close to him, she was ready to jump out. But Diego held her back, however without depriving her of a chance to flee, if she really wanted to.

"Don't go just yet," he whispered pleadingly. "Your warmth puts my troubled mind more at ease than any words ever could." And with a smirk he added "Even though your feet are quite cold."

"What did you just say?" Despite his plea to lie next to him for a few more moments, she sat up and stared down at him. Diego was confused.

"What did I just say indeed?" he asked her, giving her a puzzled look.

"Diego," Ana almost shouted as she looked at him in amazement. "How would you know that my feet are cold if you didn't feel it?"

"Well, I suppose I wouldn't," he admitted still not quite sure where she was going with this.

"You felt it!" she exclaimed with excitement. Suddenly wide awake she literally jumped out of bed and quickly walked around it to his side. Without so much as a warning, she lifted the covers and using her fingernail she scratched along the line of his shinbone.

"Hey, that hurts!" he complained before it dawned on him why she'd become so excited all of a sudden. "That hurts!" he repeated himself, but his words were betrayed by the huge smile on his face.

"You will walk again, Diego!" she smiled back at him and before she knew it, she had put a tender kiss on his forehead. When she realized what she'd just done, she immediately blushed several shades of red. However, when Diego tried to get out of bed, she held him back. "Slow down," she scolded and raised an eyebrow as she looked at him. "Just because the feeling has returned to your legs doesn't mean that you have regained full use of them just yet. The lump pressing against your spine is still there and it will take some time for it to completely vanish."

"But it will eventually be gone, right?" Diego tried to reassure himself.

"Yes. But make no mistake, Diego. You won't simply get out of bed one morning and start walking around as though nothing has ever happened. It will take time for your muscles to regain their strength and it will be a painful process. I really don't want to frighten you, but I also have no intentions of lying to you."

"It doesn't matter," Diego said his face suddenly grim. "I will walk again. And I will find the men who did this to me and bring them to justice."

AN: Thank you all so much for your reviews. It makes writing this story even more fun than it already is, even though I have to admit that some chapters are quite difficult to write. I am glad that you enjoy this little story of mine.  
Thank you also for your continued support katie1999, calamity carol, jblevins0927, jkl88, ABlape and mychakk. It is greatly appreciated and means a lot to me.

N-girl: no, I haven't forgotten you. ;-) Just tell me one thing. Why the sudden change of heart? I thought Ana was too old to be romantically involved with Diego. I'm not saying there'll be any romance between the two of them (there might be - or maybe not). I was just wondering. ;-)


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

"Are you sure, you're going to be alright?" Ana asked and threw him a worried glance. "I'm not too happy with the prospect of leaving you by yourself for the entire day, but I have to attend to some urgent business."

"I'll be just fine, Ana. Don't worry. I have everything I need at my disposal," he gave her a reassuring smile and watched her as she put her boots on. "I may die from boredom, though. Our usual fights make my boring days in this bed so much brighter," Diego grinned mischievously.

"We wouldn't have those fights, if you did as you are told," Ana argued irritably. "Promise me that you won't do anything funny. Stay in that bed and keep exercising your legs the way I told you. Rushing your recovery won't do you any good, Diego. Trust me."

"I trust your judgment implicitly, you know that."

"I wish I could say the same," she growled and sat down next to him on the bed as soon as she was finished tying her boots. "Please, Diego. Promise me that you will not try to get out of this bed by yourself. Your muscles are still too weak to carry your weight. Besides, the lump in your back is still there. If you try to get up and if you fall onto it there's no guarantee the resulting damage won't be permanent. Try to be reasonable at least for once in your life," Ana pleaded with him.

"I am a very reasonable man," Diego argued.

"You are a very impatient man," she corrected him. "I'll try to be quick."

"Where are you going anyway? You never told me." Diego was worried about her and the fact that she had so far refused to tell him, where she was going, gave him an even more uneasy feeling. When he had woken earlier that morning she had already gotten up and was nowhere to be seen or heard. After a while she had come in through the front door and Diego had been quite shocked by her entirely different appearance. Instead of her usual simple shirt and skirt she wore a tight black dress as he'd only seen it in Europe on women of nobility and she had put up her long raven hair in a tight bun. Her face was careworn and paler than usually and she hadn't been talking to him, not even wishing him a good morning, when she had brought his breakfast. "I hate to admit it, but you scare me."

"I have to visit someone," she stated and tensed immediately. "There's no need to be scared. Besides I should be back by sundown." Ana got up and turned to leave.

"Any sign of Toronado? It's been a week now," he asked hopefully, trying to hold her back just a little longer to maybe find out where she was headed.

"I'm afraid not. But I'm sure he'll be back soon," Ana said quietly. "Adios, Diego."

"Ana!" his voice was agitated when he called her name and she turned around to face him. "Vaya con dios," he said and couldn't hide his concern for her. Giving him only the hint of a smile, she nodded and went outside.

Sighing deeply Diego leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes. Muffled sounds of a horse being saddled and eventually of Ana riding off filled the room before everything went silent. For a while he tried to fall asleep but the sound of his own breathing kept him awake and his restless mind made falling asleep quite impossible.

There were too many questions troubling him and even though the fact that he would walk again should have given him at least some sort of comfort, he grew more agitated by the moment. His back was hurting from lying flat most of the time and constant sensation of pins and needles in his legs was threatening to drive him crazy. Maybe Ana had been right. He was an impatient man.

Time went by too slowly while he was trying his best to keep calm and patient. Normally he would have put on his mask and black Zorro attire and he would have followed Ana to where ever it was she was going and he was beginning to hate the restrictions his body was forcing upon him. Frustrated he sat up in bed and began with the exercises Ana had suggested he should do. Tensing up the muscles in his legs made his back hurt even worse but he couldn't afford to pay any attention to the searing pain that shot through him and nearly made him cry out.

"Damn," Diego cursed and eventually let himself fall back into the pillows. Without Ana around he found it hard to be patient and the added uncertainty of her whereabouts didn't help matters either.

A thought began to form in the back of his mind which he tried to ignore as best as he could but it wouldn't let go, kept nagging on him until he had to give in to the temptation. He threw back the covers and with gritted teeth and using his hands for support he tried to move his legs over the edge of the bed. It was his left foot that made contact with the old carpet on the wooden boards of the floor, followed shortly after by his right leg. Closing his eyes he wriggled his toes, taking in the feeling of a firm floor that could support his weight for the first time in nearly three weeks. Its steadiness felt odd against his own shaking legs, but he was certain that he just had to keep going and push himself to cross that final barrier that separated him from his own personal freedom. Diego opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on a small spot at the wall as he tried to get up. Taking a deep breath in he gathered all his strength, willed them into his legs and holding on to the nightstand he slowly got up. Pain shot instantly through the lower part of his back as he began to put his weight onto his legs, but he shut it out of his consciousness, didn't allow it to intervene and when he eventually stood on his own two legs, the pain subsided. Breathing heavily he just stood there for a while, trying to fight the vertigo that had befallen him and threatened his determination. And in the end he won. Letting out a sigh of relief he closed his eyes for a brief moment before he dared to make his first step towards the chest of drawers standing against the wall about four feet away from the bed. The first step nearly drained all of his strength but he forced himself to regain his composure and attempted the second. He cursed under his breath and forced himself to make a third, a fourth and a fifth step until he reached the doorframe and leaned against it. His vision blurred and began to narrow from the exertion but he was so much closer to where he wanted to be, that he couldn't give up now. Only a few more steps and he would be able to sit down and rest in the armchair in front of the fireplace. His heart was beating fast and his breathing was rather shallow but he forced himself to go on. Frantically he searched for something to hold on, but there was nothing to hold on between where he was standing and the armchair. Taking a deep breath in he eventually let go of the door frame and dared a step into the room. But it was too much that he asked of himself. Diego's world began spinning almost instantly and turned black before he hit the ground.

**zZzZz**

Felipe rode hard as he followed Toronado on his paint. The black stallion didn't run as fast as he normally would, apparently knowing that Felipe's horse wouldn't be able to keep up with him. It had taken Felipe longer than he had anticipated to get out of the de la Vega hacienda. Don Alejandro hadn't been too pleased with his sudden urge to go on a fishing trip for several days, especially since Diego was also not present to give his consent to his adoptive son's plans. However, Felipe argued that he could check on the vaqueros at one of the more remote parts of the rancho and so Alejandro had finally agreed.

Six days after Toronado had delivered Diego's message Felipe left the safety of the hacienda for an unknown destination. The trail Toronado was leading him was hard and long but the prospect of eventually seeing his adoptive father after too many lonely hours, days, and weeks filled with sorrow and uncertainty made his heart light as he rode further away from the pueblo.

He had left early in the morning and it was well after noon when he eventually spotted a lone farmhouse in the distance. Approaching it he could make out a small corral with an adjacent barn as well as a well-tended vegetable garden and a fallow field. Felipe urged his paint into a gallop and about twenty minutes later he led his horse and Toronado into the corral. He quickly grabbed the saddlebags and somewhat nervously ran towards the house. Impatiently he knocked against the door and waited for a reply. When none came, he leaned his head against the weather worn wood of the front door to listen what was going inside. There was nothing to be heard and his initial thrill of anticipation began to die away as the all too familiar feeling of concern took hold of him. Carelessly he threw the saddle bags onto a rocking chair as he proceeded towards one of the small windows that would allow him to peek inside. At first he didn't see much of anything but his eyes eventually adjusted to the dark interior. No one seemed to be inside. Frustrated he returned to the front door and tried to reason with himself. Maybe that woman, Diego had written about in his letter, had left for some business which was quite possible as there was no other horse in the corral other than Toronado and Felipe's paint. And since Diego probably was confined to stay in bed he most certainly wouldn't get out of it to answer the door.

Agreeing with himself, that he had come up with the most likely explanations, Felipe once again went towards the front door and tried the door knob. It turned smoothly in his hand and Felipe was about to heave a sigh of relief, when he caught a glimpse of a still figure lying flat on the floor.

'Father,' was the only word that came to his mind when he rushed towards Diego.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

It was way past noon when Ana rode into Santa Clarita. Most people had retreated to their houses or had found themselves a place somewhere in the shadows for siesta. So no one took notice of the strange woman riding a beautiful white Andalusian mare as she led her mount towards a small house at the end of the only street leading through their aldea*. She dismounted Águila and tied her to a hitching post underneath a tree right in front of the former home of her parents-in-law. Ana sighed heavily and patted Águila's neck affectionately before she turned to knock at the solid front door. For a while there was nothing to be heard from the inside of the house but after a few minutes she could hear footsteps approaching the door.

"Who is it?" queried the raspy voice of an old man who had obviously just been roused from a nap.

"It's me, Uncle Esteban. Ana," she answered trying to keep her voice as steady as she could. The door was opened before she had spoken her name.

"Ana," the old man smiled at her and instantly drew her in for a tight embrace. "It's good to see you, child. Come in." Esteban took her hand in his and led her inside the house. "Maria!" he yelled through the silence of the house. "Maria, come down here. We have a guest!"

"She is still with you?" Ana asked and couldn't hide an amused smile. "I'd thought your petulance would have driven her away by now."

"Nonsense," Esteban shook his head and went into the parlor where he offered her a seat. "She can't live with me, but neither can she live without me."

"And let me guess. You can live neither with nor without her," Ana grinned as she sat down and straightened her skirt.

"Maria!" Esteban yelled again as there hadn't been any response to his initial query. "Can you believe that woman," he added more to himself than to anybody else in particular. "Ana is here!" These three words had obviously convinced the woman in question to come out of her room as there were footsteps to be heard as someone was coming down the stairs. Shortly after that a woman well in her fifties entered the parlor and shot Esteban a nasty look before she stormed towards Ana on the sofa to greet her with a tight hug and a kiss to the younger woman's forehead.

"Dona Ana, it is so good to see you," Maria exclaimed and gave her a huge smile. "But you look pale. Are you not taking care of yourself? But there's nothing a fresh plate of tamales won't fix. I know how much you like tamales! And I was expecting you today, so I've made plenty. You are hungry, aren't you?"

"No, not really," Ana answered and felt sorry for Maria when she saw the disappointment in her eyes. "Maybe later I'll have some of your tamales. I certainly miss your cooking."

"Not to worry, Dona Ana. Not to worry. Just let me know when you get hungry. But how about some juice? You must be thirsty."

"Juice would be nice, Maria. Thank you," Ana smiled at her.

"I take it you will be staying for a few days?" Esteban said once Maria had left for the kitchen. "Maria has already prepared the guestroom for you."

"I'm afraid I'll have to leave tonight, Uncle Esteban. I have a … well, let's say I have a visitor," Ana confessed, avoiding the older man's eyes.

"Wait a minute, Ana. You've been avoiding any contact to a human being for the past six years and now you have a visitor all of a sudden? I don't understand!" Esteban exclaimed while he tried to figure out whether he could trust his own ears.

"It's not that simple, Uncle. One night three weeks ago I heard shots being fired and sounds of fighting not far from my house. When everything was quiet again I went there to see what had happened. I found a wounded man there and had I left him, he certainly would have died," Ana tried to explain. But Esteban became even more agitated.

"You took a complete stranger into your home? I don't know what's gotten into you!"

"What was I supposed to do? Let him die? If Pablo could hear you now…" she never finished her sentence, as the tears, that were building up in the back of her throat, deprived her of her control over her own voice.

"Of course you are right. I apologize, Ana. I'm just worried for you – as Pablo would be if he knew what has become of you," Esteban sighed. "I hope this stranger isn't causing you any trouble."

"He is not exactly a stranger, Uncle. I'm sure you've heard of him."

"Well, who is it?" Esteban demanded impatiently.

"El Zorro," Ana whispered and looked at the older man whose mouth was standing wide open with obvious shock and surprise. Fortunately Maria returned with a pitcher of juice and two cups for both Ana and Esteban.

"There you go," the servant smiled as she handed them each a cup of fresh orange juice. "Just call for me if there's anything else you need, Dona Ana." Maria could feel the tension in the room and chose to retreat to her room to allow her master his nephew's widow some privacy.

"You're harboring a wanted criminal in your home?"

"You know that he is no common criminal, Uncle Esteban. He's opposing the Alcalde's injustice and protects the people of the pueblo. Besides, it's not like anyone would come looking for him at my place," Ana tried to reason with the older man who didn't seem convinced.

"I sure hope so, my dear." There was a moment of silence between them before Esteban chose to speak again. "Are you going to visit them?"

"Of course," Ana whispered and locked her eyes on the carpet's pattern. "I'm still grateful that you moved here after Pablo's parents died. I'd hate the thought that there was no one to take care of their graves."

"You know that you are always welcome here, Ana. You could live with us, if you want to."

"I can't, Uncle. I know how much you despise the way I live, but I can't have it any other way."

"I know. Well, maybe one day you'll change your mind," Esteban said full of hope, but at the same time he knew, that his wish wouldn't come true any time soon.

"I have to go now," Ana whispered. "I promised to be back by sundown." She got up from the sofa and went towards Esteban who had also risen from his seat. "Would you please take care of Águila? I shouldn't be long, but she needs water and maybe some oats before we leave."

"Don't you want me to come with you?" Esteban offered but wasn't surprised when she shook her head.

"You know that I have to go alone."

"Be safe, my dear," he whispered and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Without another word Ana left the parlor and went to the front door. However, before she opened it she turned around once more to face the older man. "Thank you, Uncle."

"There's no need to thank me," he smiled at her and he kept his gaze upon her until the front door was being closed from the outside.

Ana walked the short distance to the church graveyard, avoiding the looks of the few people that were out of their homes during siesta. She knew that they knew perfectly well who she was and what had happened to her. The thought alone made her inwardly cringe with shame and disgust for herself, but she had to endure these fleeting moments of disgrace for Pablo's and Miguel's sake. When she went through the small gate that led to the cemetery she was relieved to see, that no one else was there.

Accelerating her pace she quickly went towards two grave right next to one another at the far end of the cemetery. Wooden crosses stood out of the ground, one of them a little smaller than the other. Ana knelt down in the dust between the graves and pulled her shawl up over her hair in order to protect her from the weak winter sun and curious glances. A smile graced her lips as she lightly touched the names engraved into the wood of the two crosses with her fingertips. Closing her eyes, she tried to conjure up their faces, tried to remember their voices and the feeling of their skin to her touch. Tears began to well up under her closed lids as the memories came back and overwhelmed her.

"It's been seven years today since you were taken from me," she sobbed and opened her eyes to look at Pablo's grave. "And I still miss you more than anything, my love. A part of me lies with you in your grave and sometimes I feel like I can't go on anymore. I hope that one day you will find it within you to forgive me, that you were the ones fate has punished for my sins. You'd have been better off without me. You'd probably even still be alive. But how could I have denied the love we felt for each other? You were the other part of my soul, the better part of me. If I had left you all those years ago back in Madrid, both our hearts would have been broken forever." She placed a soft kiss on the letters that spelled her husband's name and from a pocket in her skirt she pulled out a piece of parchment which she unfolded with trembling hands. She didn't have to look at the words that were written down, as she began to recite the sonnet that bore the mystery of their love, the one they'd whispered into each other's ears whenever they had been closest to one another.

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer's lease hath all too short a date.

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimmed;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature's changing course untrimmed.

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,

Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,

When in eternal lines through time thou grow'st.

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."**

By the time the last whispered line had passed her trembling lips, she broke down to the cold ground which consumed her hot tears the moment they fell onto it. The old grief had regained his control over her and she wished for her life to end in that very moment, so that she would finally be reunited with her husband and her son. But death showed no mercy, didn't come to claim her and so she just kept laying in the dirt, bursting with grief until she felt a soft touch to her shoulder.

Startled she turned around to find Esteban kneeling beside her, his eyes full of compassion and love for the younger woman.

"It wasn't your fault, Ana," he whispered and drew her into his still rather strong arms. She continued to sob heavily against his shoulders and soon the fabric of his jacket was drenched in her tears. Esteban gently rocked her back and forth until she calmed some. "It's getting dark," he said, when he finally pulled back a little without releasing her from his embrace. "You really should stay for the night. You are in no condition to ride all the way back to Los Angeles."

"I can't stay," she shook her head and tried to get up from her uncomfortable position on the cold, dusty ground. "There's someone who needs my help."

"Maybe I should come with you then? It's dangerous to ride alone in the dark. You above all people should know," Esteban argued, but when he saw the determination on her face, he knew that it was to no avail.

"Don't worry, Uncle. Águila is fast and I didn't leave unprepared." This being said, she drew out a dagger that she had tied to her lower leg.

"I'm always worried about you," he smiled at her and helped her stand up from the ground. "Águila is waiting outside for you." He kissed her forehead once more. "Vaya con dios, Ana."

"Adios," she whispered and left.

*Aldea: according to my dictionary it means 'small village' in Spanish. I tried to find some information on the city of Santa Clarita, especially when it was established, but the information I found was inconclusive. Maybe I was just not looking hard enough. ;-) Even though I usually try to stay true to reality in my stories, it is not always possible. So if my writing is inaccurate, please forgive me.

** Yet another of Shakespeare's brilliant sonnets, maybe the most famous one. No. 18 for your enjoyment. Zorro has recited part of this sonnet in the episode "Wicked, wicked Zorro" to Felipe. Well, I suppose we all know how that ended. ;-)

AN: Well, as you might have noticed by now there's absolutely no Diego/ Zorro/ Felipe in this chapter. ;-) This is probably quite unusual as this is Zorro fanfiction, but I hope you trust my judgment when I tell you, that this chapter was necessary for some future events in this story. I promise to post the next chapter soon, quite possibly tomorrow.

calamity-carol: Thank you kindly for your review. It's quite amazing how much you read between the lines as you are obviously finding quite a few clues, that I'm leaving every now and then. I'm not saying that your suspicions are true, but… you know. ;-) All the best for you and your family, too.

Suzanne: I was too tired to reply to your review last night. Please forgive me. Rest assured that I am committed to a certain plot, that still has to reveal itself. If it's bothering you, I apologize. On the other hand your reaction shows me, that I've got you guys right where I want you. ;-)

N-girl: Of course I pay attention to your comments. Actually the one in which you are referring to Ana being too old for Diego made me laugh quite a bit. I suppose people past the age of 25 seem old to you. Well, let me tell you – we are not that old. But ever since your comment I'm wondering whether I should apply for a spot in a retirement home. ;-)

Katie1999: Thank you once again. Your feedback is most appreciated.

Jkl88: Well you know how men are. They never do, what they're told to do. ;-) Especially not this one.

jeblevins0927: Trust me, I know the problem with the split loyalties. Well, I guess you'll just have to wait and see. ;-)

Thank you all once again for your reviews. They are deeply appreciated.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve **

Felipe rushed towards Diego and fell down on his knees right beside him. He turned the unconscious man on his back but before he even got a chance to try and wake him, Diego stirred and blinked his eyes open. Felipe heaved a sigh of relieve and rolled his eyes while he helped Diego to sit.

"Felipe," Diego couldn't hide both his surprise and his delight when he caught sight of his adoptive son. "I'm so glad to see you." He rubbed his temples with his fingertips, trying to clear away some of the fog in his head that his fall had left him with. He grabbed the armrest of Ana's armchair and tried to lift himself up, but failed miserably. "I'm afraid I'm going to need your help, Felipe."

The younger man nodded and helped Diego first into a standing position before he carefully helped him to sit down. He noticed Diego's face twitch with pain with every movement it took them to get him into the safety of the comfortable chair.

"Thank you," Diego pressed the words of gratitude through clenched teeth as he leaned back in the chair with his eyes closed taking in deep breaths while he was waiting for the pain in his back to subside. Eventually his breathing steadied. He opened his eyes and looked at Felipe affectionately. "I'm glad you came," he smiled and patted the younger man's hand.

'Me too,' Felipe signed and looked at Diego reproachfully. 'I thought some woman was taking care of you. And now I find you unconscious on the floor.' Felipe was agitated.

"Calm down, Felipe," Diego still smiled at him and motioned for him to sit down in the second armchair standing in front of the fireplace. "Ana is gone for the day. She had some business to attend to. And this little accident was my own fault, I'm afraid."

'Why?' Felipe still wasn't convinced. He considered it quite irresponsible of that woman to leave Diego alone in his condition. 'How did you get here anyway? You led me to believe that you can't use your legs.'

"Quite right you are, Felipe. However, there's been a change to my condition since I've sent you the letter." Diego smiled at his son. "After all the paralysis appears to be only temporary. The feeling has returned to my legs the day after Ana has sent Toronado with my letter."

'That's wonderful!' Felipe signed and couldn't suppress another relieved sigh. 'So you'll be coming home soon? I don't know how much longer your father is going to accept your absence. Yesterday he wrote a letter to Rafael, demanding that you return immediately. He told me to mail it, but I forgot,' Felipe continued and looked rather remorseful when he mentioned his deceit on Don Alejandro.

"Slow down, Felipe. Why does my father think that I'm with Rafael?" Diego looked confused.

'I forged a letter in your handwriting,' Felipe admitted and his face blushed several shades of red while he told Diego about the rest of his completely fabricated alibi to explain Diego's absence.

"I must apologize, Felipe." Now it was Diego's turn to look remorseful. "I knew that I could count on you to come up with some kind of explanation. But you shouldn't be forced to lie to such a degree on my behalf."

'You know that I would do anything for you,' Felipe signed and gave Diego a weak smile. 'I'm just glad that you'll be coming home with me.'

"I'm afraid that I cannot return home just yet," Diego sighed and felt terrible when he saw Felipe's shocked look. "I have not yet regained the use of my legs. You see, even though I was advised to stay in bed and to not rush my recovery, I did just that. I managed to get out of bed on my own and to make two or three steps into the living room. Well, you saw how well that has worked out for me. Ana is going to have my head for disobeying her orders," Diego smirked.

'She's giving you orders?' Felipe found it hard to believe that his father would allow anyone to order him around like some common peasant.

"She's different from anybody I've met before. She's quite special really," Diego mused and suddenly seemed to be lost in thought. Felipe watched him as his mind began wandering somewhere, he couldn't follow. After a while Felipe put his hand on Diego's knee to get his attention. "I'm sorry, Felipe. I was just wondering…"

'About what?'

"Never mind. It wasn't important. I have a favor to ask. Would you kindly fetch me a glass of water, please. My throat feels quite dry," Diego asked. "I'm afraid I don't know where Ana keeps her crockery. I've never been to this room before."

Felipe nodded and went to the small kitchen area. The woman, who was taking care of Diego, was obviously quite neat. There was a pitcher filled with water standing on the counter, however he didn't see any cups. So he searched behind the colorful curtains that were hiding the kitchen counters' contents from plain view. When he couldn't find any glasses, he began searching the two cabinets hanging on the wall. The first one contained the usual supplies, such as candles, lamp oil and other necessities of everyday life. Felipe sighed in frustration and threw the door shut a little too vigorously. One of the jars, that had been placed on the top of the cabinets came tumbling down and hit the floor with a loud clash. Coffee beans were rolling all over the floor and Felipe gave a surprised silent yelp as the jar nearly hit his head but quickly regained his composure and knelt down to pick it up.

"Felipe," Diego exclaimed worriedly and turned slightly so that he could see his son. "Are you alright?"

Felipe nodded and Diego watched him as he cleaned up the mess he'd made. But suddenly Felipe stopped and a look of surprise washed over his face when he found something else among the coffee beans. For a moment he hesitated before he picked up a small golden locket that had obviously been hidden in the jar on purpose. He held it up to take a better look at it and then turned towards Diego who had and equal expression of surprise on his face. Felipe got up from his knees, went over to Diego and handed him the small piece of jewelry.

Instantly intrigued by the piece's fine craftsmanship Diego took it from Felipe's hands and inspected it more closely. The locket was beautiful and looked quite old. He hesitated to open it. Surely Ana had a good reason to hide such a precious piece of jewelry and he felt like he was betraying her trust, if he were to open it. On the other hand he wanted and needed to find out more about her, since he knew that she was still hiding many things from him. Maybe the locket would contain some kind of clue to who she really was. Diego's subconscious freed him of the decision he had to make, when his thumb ever so lightly brushed the small button. The locket instantly sprung open and revealed two portraits. He would have expected to find the portraits of Pablo and Miguel; however one of the small paintings showed a woman. It wasn't Ana, even though there was a certain resemblance.

'Who do you think they are?' Felipe signed his question and looked expectantly at Diego.

"I don't know," Diego answered somewhat lost in thought. "Maybe they are her parents?" he offered for an explanation, but couldn't be quite certain. "You should put it back, Felipe. I don't think Ana would appreciate us uncovering her secrets."

Felipe nodded and took the locket from Diego and quickly went to gather the spilt coffee beans and along with the locket he put them back into the jar. After he had returned it to its original place he continued his search for a glass and found one in the second cabinet. He poured Diego and himself a glass of water and returned to his seat.

Diego eagerly drank his water and then began to tell Felipe everything that had happened.

It was already dark outside and it had started to rain heavily when Diego finished. Felipe had been listing intently to the entire story and when Diego stopped, he silently gave a prayer of thanks that his father had been saved by that strange woman. A few moments of silenced passed before Diego spoke again.

"She should have been back by now," he sighed and let his eyes wander to the dark window next to the front door. Raindrops were running down the windowpane and bore evidence to the severity of the storm.

'Maybe she changed her mind and stayed wherever it is, she was going,' Felipe suggested.

"I hope so. But I doubt it. She couldn't have known that you would come here today and she is way too conscientious than to leave me here all by myself," Diego stated.

'I brought a few things with me,' Felipe tried to take Diego's mind off his worries and he quickly ran outside only to return a few seconds later with his saddlebags. He kneeled on the floor in front of Diego and brought forth a couple of books, a fresh set of Zorro's clothing as well as some caballero's clothes.

"That was very thoughtful of you, Felipe," Diego smiled and took the books from his son. There was a copy of Shakespeare's sonnets as well as a selection of some of his favorite poetry. "I see you know me well," he smiled gratefully.

'You look hungry,' Felipe signed and without awaiting Diego's response he went back to the kitchen and began to prepare a simple mean for both of them. Fortunately there was some leftover stew, that Ana had cooked the day before and so they both enjoyed a tasteful however simple meal a short time later.

They ate in silence and when they had finished their meal Felipe took care of the dishes. Diego sat in the old armchair and watched the flames engulfing the wooden logs with their hungry tongues of fire. He was tired, but his worry for Ana kept him awake and alert. It was past midnight when Felipe sat down next to him and there was still no sign of Ana. They were both too tired to talk and so they both just sat there, watching the fire in front of them, dwelling on their own thoughts. After a while Felipe's breathing became heavier and when Diego turned to him, he saw that his son had fallen asleep. With a smile on his face he reached over to the younger man and gently stroked his arm. With the intention of only closing his eyes for a few moments, he slightly shifted in his chair to get more comfortable and finally gave in to his own bodies need for sleep.

Diego felt like he'd only slept for a few seconds when he woke with a start to the sound of the front door being opened. Apart from the fire in the fireplace it was dark in the room and his instincts told him to get up and make some light, but shot of pain through his lower back kept him seated in his chair. Cursing under his breath, he tried to ignore the pain, but it was too consuming.

"I told you to stay in bed, Diego," Ana's angry voice cut the silence of the room and woke Felipe. "Why can't you just listen to someone for once?" She stepped further into the room and threw the front door shut. Quickly she lit one of the wall lamps and it was then that Diego discovered that she was soaking wet and trembling violently. "When did Felipe arrive?" she queried as she proceeded to light the next lamp.

"At noon," Diego replied dumbfounded and watched the wet trail she left behind on the floor. "Where were you? I was worried about you."

"I was delayed," she answered avoiding his eyes. "I just wanted to check on you. I still need to comb down Águila. When I come back, we'll get you back to bed."

"Don't you think you should put on some dry clothes first?" Diego exclaimed before she could slip out of the front door.

"Don't you think that you should have listened to me? I take it that it wasn't Felipe who helped you out of bed!" Ana yelled and shot him an angry look.

"Well, no. He didn't. But nothing happened. I'm alright," Diego tried to calm her, but she wasn't listening. He had expected her to yell some more at him, but she just stared at him in disbelief for a while, then turned on her heels to run back out into the pouring rain.

AN: So there's some progress in this chapter. We're getting there. ;-)

Thanks to everyone for their reviews. You guys make my day.

jblevins0927: I'm glad that you enjoy this story so much. Your review made me blush. Thank you so very much.

jkl88: 25 seems rather young to me, too. LOL Thank you for your review.

katie1999: More questions for you in this chapter. But there'll be some answer in the near future. I promise. This story is - believe it or not - coming to its end. At least in my mind. ;-)


	13. Chapter 13

AN: This story is not as close to its conclusion as I've obviously made you believe. I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to confuse you. As a matter of fact I had never intended this story to be this long, but I guess I found myself some nice characters to play with. ;-) Writing this story is a very enjoyable but also very draining pasttime and I guess it was just some sort of wishful thinking on my part when I said, that it will be over soon. I cannot yet tell you how many more chapters there will be, but at this point we're definitely closer to the end than to the beginning. ;-)

Also there won't be any more updates before the weekend. I have two very busy days ahead of me and I don't think that I'll have it in me to work on the story. On the other hand, I could always post the last chapter. Finished that one right after chapter one. LOL

Allow me to explain one more thing about this story, as it has obviously been bugging quite a few of you. I know there's not too much of Don Alejandro and Victoria in this story (yet). This is due to the fact, that I wanted to keep the focus purely on Diego and Ana. I have something in mind for them that makes this course of writing necessary. I have not forgotten about them and there'll be plenty of Alejandro, Victoria, Mendoza, and de Soto later on. ;-) I'm not telling you this in order to get you guys speculating. It's just FYI.

As always, thank you for your reviews. They make this effort worth it. And they're even more appreciated since I know that I can sometimes be a quite mean author.

The Lady in Black

**Chapter Thirteen**

Ana returned about an hour later and immediately went into the bedroom without saying a word. Both Diego and Felipe were watching her and when the bedroom door had closed behind her, they exchanged worried looks. They heard drawers being opened and closed and a few minutes later the door opened. Ana had changed into her normal attire. Her wet hair hung down loosely to her waist and left dark wet spots on her blouse and skirt. She dropped the bundle of wet clothes to the floor and then she went straight towards Diego, completely ignoring Felipe.

"Let's go." Even though her voice never rose above a whisper it was cold when she addressed Diego and without giving him so much as a warning, she took hold of his arm to lay it around her shoulders in order to heave him out of the armchair. Diego was too surprised by her determined actions, that he obeyed her unspoken orders. He let out an agonized hiss when her movements were too abrupt and sent a jolt of excruciating pain through his lower back. Ana didn't offer any words of comfort and Diego had to lean heavily on her when she helped him back into bed. By the time he sat down on the mattress he was exhausted and sweat dripped down his forehead and ran into his eyes so that he had to quickly open and close them to relieve himself of the burning sensation.

"Thank you," he said through gritted teeth and relaxed a little as soon as the pain in his back became weaker. He wanted to say something more, he wanted to apologize but she wouldn't let him. But he saw the hurt and disappointment in her eyes before she went back to the main room. He could hear her say something to Felipe but couldn't make out what was being said but it obviously caused Felipe to quickly join Diego in the bedroom. The younger man looked something between surprised and shocked, when he came storming into the room and threw the door shut behind him.

"What? Did she say anything?" Diego asked, but Felipe only shook his head.

'She bid me a good night, but nothing else. She instantly went to the kitchen and stopped for a moment and looked at that jar I had dropped earlier. And she didn't appear to be too be very pleased with you.'

For a while Diego said nothing. He just kept staring at something at the wall that only he could see while he listened to the hardly audible noises that came from the other room which faded into a daunting silence. For once in his life he ignored Felipe when he tried to get his attention by pulling the sleeve of his shirt. He cursed himself that he had betrayed her trust when he knew that their friendship and her faith in him were too fragile to withstand even the smallest disappointment.

He only got out of his reverie when the door to the bedroom practically flew open. Ana came in carrying a tea try which she placed on the chest of drawers without looking at either of them. Her hair was still wet and she was pale and the cups were clattering on their saucers when she handed a cup to each of them. It seemed as though her entire body was shivering violently – whether from being cold or angry, Diego could not tell. Plucking up all his courage, he took hold of her wrist. Ana's skin felt way too cool to his touch and she wanted to free herself from his grip immediately, jerking her hand back weakly.

"Ana, please. Let me apologize. I know that it was very unwise of me to get out of bed on my own," Diego pleaded with her and was quite surprised the intensity of her fury in her dark eyes.

"Let go of me, Don Diego," she hissed and kept trying to free herself from his grip. "And it wasn't unwise what you did. It was plain stupid. You could have made your condition permanent. You could have killed yourself!"

"I know! And I am not trying to make up excuses but why are you refusing to forgive a mistake that doesn't even affect you?" Diego argued. He found it hard to keep his temper in check. This entire situation was new to him too and agitated him more than he'd ever been before. After all it was him who had been injured gravely and thus had been forced out of his normal life. It was him who had to worry about the family that was waiting for him to return, not knowing whether he was dead or alive. Of course Felipe had taken care of that but there was also the one who did not love him but his alter ego and she still had to fear for the life of her masked lover.

"Doesn't affect me? Are you serious? You invade my life like the French once invaded Spain and you are telling me that it doesn't affect me?" she yelled at him at the top of her voice. "I did my best to save your life which I did and you express your gratitude with an unbelievable act of stupidity! You were nothing but trouble ever since I found you out in the plains."

"I already told you that I am sorry, Ana. What else do you expect me to say?"

"I don't expect you to say anything. I expect you to leave and go back to what you call your life and leave me alone and continue to risk your life on an almost daily basis for people who don't show their gratitude. Have yourself killed if you must and miss the one chance to finally live the life you deserve instead of the one you chose for yourself. Why, pray tell, won't you let anybody come near you? I know how deep your love Senorita Escalante is and yet you're keeping her away from you with that stupid mask. I know you think that you're protecting her, that she'd be in too much danger, if she knew. But don't you think that she actually has a right to know, who she really is in love with?"

"Who do you think you are? You cannot talk to me like that!" Diego's temper finally showed when she threw all of those inconvenient truths right into his face. "And how dare you bring Victoria into this! She has nothing to do with this!"

"Don't you see, Diego! She has everything to do with it. You deny her your love and she keeps waiting for you patiently, not knowing whether you'll live to see the next day. But she's still there, yearning for your warmth, for your embrace, for your very essence. You, senor, are afraid of showing your true self, because you could get hurt and not because you fear for Senorita Escalante's safety. And while you choose to be this ignorant you deprive yourself of the one thing, everyone needs. Someone to hold onto, to love and to cherish. Trust me. I know what I'm talking about when I say that you can never know when all of this will be taken from you. And knowing this, I know that there's not a single day, no matter how unimportant it may seem, that you can afford to let go to waste. Live. Love. Allow yourself both – out of respect for Senorita Escalante and yourself." Ana was fuming, but now that she had finished ranting, her voice was gone. She was breathing heavily and close to tears, but she tried her best to keep them at bay and kept her gaze fixed on him. "And if all of what I've just said means nothing to you, then I expect you to leave in the morning because in that case you are not the man I thought you were. In that case you are not the man that deserves anything of what I did. This is how all of this affects me, Senor de la Vega." Those last few words were only whispered, but couldn't have hit the spot with any more accuracy. Turning to Felipe she added. "Make sure that he doesn't try to get up on his own again. I know I can trust you, Felipe." And without looking at Diego or wishing them a good night, she stormed out of the bedroom, throwing the door shut behind her with a loud bang.

"I am not the only one who has put his life on hold, senora!" Diego screamed at the closed door, which was opened mere moments later to reveal a furious Ana.

"What?" she snarled and shooting daggers at him with her eyes.

"You decided to stop living your life when…"

"When it was taken from me?" she interrupted him. "There's no way you can compare my situation to yours. It is totally different."

"No, it is not. You know what really bothers me? It bothers me, that you've found me out so completely and what bothers me even more is the fact that you are right about everything that you've said."

"Well, that would be the first sensible thing to come from your lips tonight," Ana sneered.

"Oh, there's more. I got to know you throughout the previous three weeks and I know that I owe my life to you. While you are full of compassion and kindness at the same time you're the most stubborn and unbearable person that I've ever met. You hide from the world because you're afraid that it might hurt you again and it possibly will, but how can you live like that? As you've said before – everyone needs someone to hold onto, to love and to cherish. Why do you deny yourself those wonderful benefits of life?"

"I've had all that, Diego," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes quickly and she angrily wiped them away with the back of her hand. "It has been taken from me and ever since I've been trying to cope with it. I was foolish enough to let many precious moments go to waste. I've made mistakes that cost me everything I ever cared for. It was the one up above who punished me for my sins. Believe me. You and I – we are nothing alike." She lost her fight against her tears and stood in front of him, helpless and vulnerable. "I would appreciate it if you just went to sleep now. I am exhausted and so are you," eyeing Felipe she added "both of you are. Good night." With a last deep look into Diego's surprised eyes, that showed all her grief and hurt, she slowly turned around and quietly left the room.

**zZzZz**

Sleep had refused to come and claim Diego and so he'd spent the rest of the night lying awake, staring at the dark ceiling, thinking about his argument with Ana, about the confused fear in Felipe's eyes after she had left and about Victoria. He missed her with every fiber of his being. He wanted to just hold her in his arms and feel her heart beating against his chest, wanted to feel her warm breath on his skin and find comfort in it. The painful yearning for her embrace turned moments into hours and he knew that he couldn't stand all of it much longer. Something had to happen and soon, or the crime he was constantly committing against their love would become unforgivable.

When the first rays of the new morning's sunlight broke through the window Felipe who had fallen asleep next to him on the bed began to stir and blinked his eyes open. He stretched and yawned and seemed rather confused when he tried to contemplate his surroundings.

"Good morning," Diego smiled tiredly at his adoptive son. Felipe smiled back at him and quickly got out of bed. He was so used to his morning routine, that he wasn't ready to suspend it even when he was away from home.

'I'm going to check on Toronado and then I'll get you some juice,' he signed and left the bedroom without waiting for a reply from his father. However, he returned nearly momentarily shock and confusion evident on his still quite young face.

"What is it, Felipe?" Diego asked worriedly and sat up in bed.

'Ana. She's lying on the floor, unconscious.'


	14. Chapter 14

AN: Unfortunately my medical knowledge is not very profound, so anything described in this and the following chapters is pure fiction, even though I did some research.

**Chapter Fourteen**

"What happened?" Panic was evident in Diego's voice and mirrored the one in Felipe's eyes. His mind was racing. What was he supposed to do? Getting out of bed was out of the question and he wasn't sure whether Felipe could muster the strength to carry Ana to the bedroom by himself. Not for the first time in the previous weeks Diego cursed his state and the ones who put him in it but his anger and desperation wouldn't help matters now. "Are you sure, she is unconscious?" Diego eventually addressed Felipe. "Maybe she has simply decided to sleep on the floor." He knew that his assumptions were highly unlikely and he was also aware that Felipe was perfectly capable of telling the difference between unconsciousness and sleep and when Felipe shook his head Diego had his answer. _Think_, Diego quietly ordered himself and closed his eyes for a moment so that he could better focus. Diego knew that he stood no chance of getting to Ana himself, but on the other hand he needed to know what was wrong with her. To him she had never appeared to be the kind of woman that would pass out for no good reason and this only assured him even more, that something must be horribly wrong. "Felipe," he finally whispered massaging his temples with his fingertips. "Go back and try to find any signs of what is going on with her." Diego looked up and into the eyes of his son who was hesitating to do as he'd been told.

'I don't think she'd like that,' he signed and raised his eyebrows.

"No, she probably wouldn't, but if she is in danger we cannot be considerate of her oddities. I'd go myself…" Diego was interrupted by Felipe's frantic headshaking which almost made him smile. "You wouldn't be afraid of her, now would you." Felipe blushed and nodded shyly. "Well, don't be. I know she sometimes seems rather … strict, but she is a very loving and caring woman. After all she has saved my life."

'Alright then,' Felipe nodded and returned to the main room leaving an anxious Diego sitting helplessly on the bed.

"What is it Felipe?" he called out when the younger man was already gone for quite some time. Of course Diego knew that Felipe wouldn't be able to give him an answer unless he came back and to Diego's considerable relief Felipe stood in the doorway a few moments later. The older man gave him a curious look, impatiently awaiting the information Felipe would provide.

'She running a fever,' Felipe signed, looking quite anxious himself. 'And her breathing is labored. I don't know what to do.'

"How's her pulse? Have you felt her pulse?" Diego asked, suddenly scared for Ana as he was beginning to have an idea what was wrong with her.

'It's fast,' Felipe signed and unknowingly confirmed Diego's worst fear.

"We have to get her into bed, Felipe. Do you think you can carry or drag her in here?"

Felipe shrugged.

"You have to try. I'm afraid she's quite ill and we need to take care of her as best as we can," Diego pleaded with the younger man who felt his panic rise once more, when he heard the anxiety in Diego's voice. "Please, Felipe. This is a matter of life and death."

With a grim look of determination Felipe nodded and went back to the larger room of the old farm house. Once again Diego was condemned to inactivity and he tried to position himself in bed so that he could see what was going on in the next room. He could hear Felipe exerting himself when he tried to somehow move Ana's limp body and he wished that he could just jump out of bed and help his son. But he couldn't.

To Diego's great relief Felipe soon appeared, holding Ana underneath her arms tightly to himself, dragging her unceremoniously over the wooden floor. Diego scooted to the other side of the bed to make room for Ana. Felipe was breathing heavily and his face had turned red from the exertion, but he eventually managed to get to the bed. Diego leaned over and tried to lend a hand to Felipe to help him heave the motionless body onto the mattress. Another jolt of pain seared through Diego's lower back and he couldn't stop the cry of pain it forced out of his throat. Instantly Felipe turned and looked at his adoptive father, but Diego waved him off while he tried to force the pain away by taking slow and even breaths.

When Ana had finally been positioned on the bed, Diego put his hand on her forehead and almost instantly pulled back when he felt how high her fever really was. Not caring that it was more than just a little inappropriate he put his head on her chest listening to her heart beat and breathing. When he was done, fear was evident on his face and for a moment his mind simply refused to process the information he'd just gathered. Slowly he turned his head to look at Felipe.

"It's just what I thought. If I am not completely mistaken she has pneumonia," Diego said quietly still trying to think of some way to help her when he felt Felipe tucking at the sleeve of his shirt. "What?"

'I've brought some of your cactus tea,' Felipe signed and hope faded from his features when Diego shook his head.

"I'm afraid that it wouldn't do her any good," he sighed. "What I need is wolf's bane against the infection of her lungs and the fever. Check those little jars she's keeping on the shelf next to the fireplace. Maybe you'll find something there."

Felipe immediately stormed into the other room only to return a few minutes later. 'There's no wolf's bane,' he signed. 'All I found is some willow bark, black mustard, and peppermint.'

"But that's great, Felipe," Diego said and allowed himself a small smile. "Make a tea out of the willow bark and the peppermint. Don't use more than a table spoon of both. The willow bark will help lower the fever and the peppermint should work against the infection. But that won't be enough. I'm going to need a few things from the cave. What we have won't help us pull her through this."

Felipe nodded and was about to leave, when Diego began to speak again.

"Please try to find some parchment and ink. I'll need you to deliver a letter, Felipe."

**zZzZz**

About an hour later Felipe left with a list of supplies Diego needed from Zorro's cave and a letter addressed to Doctor Hernandez in his saddlebags. They had made Ana as comfortable as possible and Felipe had arranged everything Diego would need to tend to the sick woman within his reach.

However, there wasn't much Diego actually could do. Ana was delirious with fever and was developing a bad cough. He tried to cool her down and kept sponging the hot skin of her face with wet cloths but the immense heat emanating from her skin seemed to dry them almost instantly. Spasms took hold of her entire form whenever she suffered from another coughing fit and to Diego it seemed as though he could literally feel her getting weaker with every passing moment. After a while he found himself almost constantly praying to the one up above for her life. She was deteriorating quickly and Diego cursed himself that he hadn't seen the signs the night before. When she had returned shivering and soaking wet from her trip he should have known that this wouldn't go without consequences to her health. But their argument and her not quite charming attitude towards him had blinded him and he knew rather well, that she was just the kind of person that would have denied any concerns for her health anyway.

Every once in a while Diego tried to pour some of the tea Felipe had prepared before he had left down her throat, but he rarely ever managed to make her swallow more than a few drops of the bitter liquid. Whenever he administered too much at once she'd suffer another coughing spell and eventually he positioned himself right behind her so that she was leaning against his chest and could breathe more comfortably. Diego couldn't help it but it seemed as though she was calming down just a little when she felt his presence. Her breathing was shallow and whenever she had to take a deep breath, her entire body tensed from the pain in her chest.

They had been sitting in bed like that for a while when her eyes slowly fluttered open. They were bloodshot and unfocused but as soon as she saw him looking down at her, a smile parted her dry lips.

"I'm so glad you're with me," she whispered and another coughing spell took hold of her.

"Shh, try not to talk, Ana," Diego said and gently stroked the top of her head. The heat emanating from her frightened him but he tried not to show his fear.

"I won't leave you. I won't let them tear us apart. No matter what," she murmured and suddenly her feverish eyes focused and she fixed her gaze on him. "My uncle wants our death, my love, and I will gladly face the henchman as long as you're with me. I'm just so sorry…" her weak voice broke and she started to cry heavily and was desperately gasping for air when her sobs deprived her of the ability to breathe for a few moments. Diego held her to himself, tried to comfort her and take away her pain but he didn't succeed. "I only wish they'd let you live. It is all my fault. If I hadn't lost my heart to you, you wouldn't be in this dungeon. Please forgive me." The constant flow of tears became stronger again as she was shaken by her emotions. "I love you so much…" Ana's eyes closed but tears were still seeping through the closed lids when her strength ebbed away and she began fading into unconsciousness.

**zZzZz**

Felipe rode hard. He knew it would at least take him two hours to get to the hacienda. His pinto was fast but couldn't run at the same speed as the black stallion he'd been forced to leave behind. Before he had left Ana's small farm he and Diego had considered whether he should ride Toronado in order to get the supplies more quickly, but Diego had insisted that it was too dangerous. Should anybody spot Felipe on the infamous horse, the life of the youngest de la Vega would be in grave danger.

Felipe had to take a detour and enter Zorro's cave through the back entrance. At first his horse shied since it wasn't accustomed to walk through such a narrow passage, but it trusted its rider with its life and so Felipe managed to steer the pinto into the cave. He couldn't afford to lose any time and so he quickly rummaged through the many shelves and gathered everything that Diego had jotted down on a piece of parchment. Quickly he stuffed a selection of herbs and various ointments into his saddle bags and left the cave.

He knew that he had to be careful not to be seen by his grandfather or any of the vaqueros working for him, because they believed him to be on a fishing trip. Felipe took the long less travelled route into the pueblo and tied his pinto to a tree behind the tavern where it would not be discovered as easily. He snuck along the backsides of the few houses until he reached Dr. Hernandez's office. Peeping through the small windows he tried to spot the elderly doctor, but to his horror he was nowhere to be seen. Taking in a deep breath he leaned against the whitewashed wall trying to think what to do next. Without realizing it at first, he began walking towards the tavern and entered the establishment through the backdoor. No one was in the kitchen and so he snuck towards the colorful curtain and peeped into the main room of the tavern. Victoria was just serving Don Alejandro some juice. She stood by his table for a while chatting with him as she so often did, but when Felipe mustered her, he could see that she looked tired and exhausted as though a constant worry had taken hold of her, that deprived her of her nightly rest. A couple of minutes later she turned on her heels and to Felipe's relief she walked towards the kitchen. He quickly turned and leaned against the wall waiting anxiously for Victoria to walk through the curtains. A few moments later she came in and Felipe quickly grabbed her from behind and held his hand over her mouth to stifle her scream. She was trying to fight him off, but Felipe was a lot stronger than his slim frame led anybody to believe and when she stopped, he let go of her and forced her to face him. Victoria wanted to yell at him, ask him what all of this was about, but the look of desperation in his eyes and his finger against her lips silenced her. As soon as he could be certain, that she wouldn't do anything that would give them away he started signing.

'I need your help.' And drawing an unmistakable sign into the air he added 'Zorro needs your help.'


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: **It makes me quite nervous to post this chapter... so kindly don't kill me in case you don't like it.

**Chapter Fifteen**

Victoria had to ask Felipe several times to slow down the speed of his signing but what she caught made her experience a variety of emotions that she had never felt before. Now that she finally knew for certain that Zorro was indeed not dead she felt as though the weight of a mountain was lifted from her heart and her soul. But everything else Felipe was telling her only confused her.

"Wait, Felipe. Slow down. Zorro was injured severely by those six strangers that came to the tavern a few weeks ago?" Victoria enquired.

Felipe nodded. 'They shot him and he hurt his back badly when Toronado reared and Zorro fell,' he tried to explain, finally slowing down his signing so that Victoria could follow.

"And the woman that rescued him has now come down with pneumonia and he is fearing for her life and that's why he sent you to get help?" Victoria tried to confirm his signs.

'He wanted me to fetch Dr Hernandez but he's not in his office. I was hoping that you could tell me where he is?' Felipe signed looking at her hopefully.

"Dr Hernandez left for Santa Paula to visit his daughter a couple of days ago. He said he wouldn't be back until after Christmas," Victoria explained the doctor's absence and felt bad when she saw the look of despair on Felipe's face. However, she couldn't help it but there was a question nagging on her that just had to be asked. "But how do you know all this, Felipe? What were you even doing so far away from the pueblo?"

Felipe felt caught and had to struggle for an answer that wouldn't compromise Diego's secret. 'I can't tell you,' he eventually explained feebly and the look on Victoria's face told him, that his answer wasn't satisfactory. But to his tremendous relief Victoria didn't delve further into the subject. However, what she said now caused him more trouble than he could ever have imagined.

"Well, then I'll come with you," Victoria declared. "Maybe I can be of some help."

'I'm not sure this is a good idea. Zorro probably wouldn't want you to see him in the state he's in,' Felipe tried to reason with her but while he was still signing the words he already knew that it was to no avail. Victoria had made up her mind.

"Nonsense," she insisted. "Just let me pack a few things and talk to Pilar and then I'll come with you. We can take my wagon."

'It is dangerous Victoria. We won't get there before nightfall and Zorro needs…' Felipe stopped moving his hands abruptly but it was too late.

"What does Zorro need?" Victoria queried and shot Felipe a suspicious look.

'Stuff,' Felipe signed hesitantly. 'He asked me to pick up some supplies for him.'

"What kind of supplies?" she asked, but then shook her head and sighed. "Never mind. That's not important now. You wait for me here, Felipe. I will be right with you." With it said she left the kitchen and an uncertain Felipe behind.

_Great_, Felipe thought and felt miserable. So far nothing had gone as planned and he was quite certain that Diego wouldn't be too happy with him if he was to return with Victoria. But how could he get out of this now? Of course he could always sneak out and ride off but there was a problem. Diego was in no condition to take care of Ana and Felipe couldn't handle the both of them by himself. Before he had a chance to find a solution for his problem Victoria returned holding a large bag.

"We're good to go," she stated and passed him quickly heading for the back door.

**zZzZz**

It was already dark when Victoria's wagon came to a halt in front of Ana's house. Felipe had been driving and now quickly dropped the reigns to jump down from the seat but before he could do so he had to hold Victoria back. She gave him a confused look when he grabbed her by her arm, but there was something in his eyes that made her stop dead in her tracks.

"What?" she asked in a hushed voice when he didn't explain himself right away.

'I have to go in alone,' Felipe signed. 'Zorro is not expecting you and I've told you before that I am not sure that he wants you to see him like this.'

"Alright. I think this is stupid, but I'll wait," Victoria complied with a sigh and let her hands drop into her lap in defeat. Felipe nodded gratefully and quickly ran towards the front door.

Nervously he turned the door knob and entered the small house without making a sound. Closing the door behind him he turned left and went into the bedroom. When he came in Diego looked in his direction and he could see the relief wash over his father's face.

"Felipe! Finally," Diego sighed and sent a quick prayer of thanks to the one up above. "Where is Dr Hernandez?"

'There's been a problem,' the younger man signed and only then Diego noticed how anxious Felipe was.

"What is it, Felipe?"

'I couldn't find Dr Hernandez in his office and I went to see Victoria and ask her where he was. She told me that he was out of town and then she made me tell her what happened.' Felipe hesitated for a moment before he continued. 'She insisted to come with me.' There. It was out.

"Victoria is here?" Diego's surprise and shock were evident both in his voice and on his face when at the same time his mind had already begun racing. He had no idea what he was supposed to do now and that confused him, since he was normally a man who was able to come up with a solution for any given problem. But this was different. How often had he dreamed about the moment when she would eventually find out about the two lives he was living? It was the one thing he was yearning for the most, but at the same time it frightened him more than all de Sotos, Ramones, lancers, and banditos in the world. To let go of the mask, to let go of his secret meant that he would reveal his true self, the man he had been hiding behind the masks of Don Diego and Zorro ever since he had returned from Spain so many years ago and he wasn't sure whether he was ready to do that just yet. His physical and emotional exhaustion were straining him and he certainly didn't have the wish to face Victoria's righteous anger and fury when she found her lover in bed with another woman – no matter how innocent the circumstances were. However, it was too late now. Diego mustered all his remaining strength and looked Felipe straight in the eye. "Give me my mask and then go and bring Victoria in." When he saw Felipe's expression of guilt and shame he gave his son a weak smile and added. "It was the right thing to bring her with you, Felipe. Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be alright." Diego accepted the black silk when Felipe handed it to him and then watched his son leave. "At least that's what I'm hoping for," he mumbled while he put the black silk over his face and tied the knot behind his head. The sudden coughing spell that took hold of Ana, who was still leaning against him, was his final prove that Victoria's unexpected presence would eventually turn out as a blessing.

**zZzZz**

Victoria was waiting impatiently for Felipe to return. She had jumped down from the wagon and walked up to the corral where Toronado and a beautiful white mare were standing quite close to each other. When the black stallion spotted his master's friend, he gave a friendly whinny and approached Victoria slowly. The white mare followed close behind him but stopped way out of Victoria's reach and to the woman it seemed, as though the white horse was eyeing her suspiciously. Victoria giggled when she suddenly felt Toronado's soft nose against her neck nuzzling her as though he was trying to imitate his master. She gently patted his long neck and a sudden feeling of calmness washed over her. Admittedly she was rather nervous about what she would find once she would be allowed into the farmhouse. The prospect of seeing Zorro lying in one bed with another woman was not one that she welcomed, no matter what the circumstances were. In her heart she knew that she was just being silly, but an all too familiar feeling of jealousy had crept into her heart and taken hold of all of her thoughts and feelings.

Lost in her somewhat dark thoughts she let out a stifled cry when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around she saw Felipe standing right behind her.

'Come,' he signed and without awaiting an answer he went back inside. Victoria followed him closely and when they went through the front door she did the kind of first inspection only a woman could do. Whoever the woman was who was living in that house, she certainly didn't own a lot. There was hardly any furniture in the room and she could see absolutely nothing that would tell her anything about what kind of person was living in such a small way. The two armchairs in front of the fireplace looked old and worn and most of the chest of drawers' paintwork was damaged. Other than that she could only make out a shelf next to the fireplace that held many tiny jars and a coffee table with a single book on top of it in between the two armchairs. The kitchen part of the room was not different. It had all the necessities but nothing more and Victoria was beginning to feel sorry for the lady of the house. She found it hard to believe, that anybody would actually choose to live like that – somewhere out in the plains far away from the pueblo, with a horse and her own mind as her only companions. Victoria followed Felipe to the only door in the house, suddenly feeling more anxious and worried than she ever had in her entire life.

**zZzZz**

Diego's heart pounded rapidly in his chest while he was waiting for Felipe to return with Victoria. The black fabric of his mask felt heavy against the skin of his face and the security it usually offered him was suddenly gone. But was this the right time to reveal himself, to let her see who she really had devoted her life and her love to? What if she was just in love with the legend and found herself unable to love the man behind the mask? His greatest fear was no longer securely stored in the back of his mind but was about to become real and he knew that he needed to make a decision. It seemed so simple. All he needed to do was to take off his mask, untie the tight knot at the back of his head and let the black cloth slip into his hands. It was really that simple and at the same time it was the hardest thing to do. Fighting an entire army of de Soto's lancers seemed so much easier – even in his current condition.

When Diego eventually heard the front door being opened a strange calmness took hold of him. His back was turned towards the door so Victoria couldn't see his face. And finally, when he heard her entering the bedroom his hands reached up to the back of his head and as if they had their own will they untied the knot and the mask slipped from his face, revealing him and all of his vulnerability. He was at her mercy and he knew that whatever was to happen now would be crucial for their future.

**zZzZz**

Victoria followed Felipe into the bedroom and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the two figures on the bed. Zorro was sitting upright, his back turned towards her and the woman was leaning against him, obviously unconscious. She found herself at a loss of words when she saw, what he was about to do. His long slim fingers were entwined with the black silk of his mask as they slowly opened the knot. When it finally got loose the black fabric slipped from his head and revealed silky dark brown hair that seemed a whole lot more familiar than she would have expected and when he finally turned his head to face her, she could see fear and anxiety in the depths of his bright blue eyes. Zorro was sitting there on the bed, but at the same time it wasn't him.

"Diego."


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: I know I'm repeating myself, but I want to thank all of you, that give me feedback on my story. When I posted the last chapter I said that I was nervous about it. This is mainly because I wasn't sure about the scene when Diego took of his mask. Originally I had not planned for this to happen, but once I got to this part of the story, it seemed to make more sense. Besides I was picturing a bearded Diego wearing a nightshirt sitting on the bed with his mask on. It just seemed (and looked) stupid. LOL  
The unmasking was a big thing, that I didn't want to take likely and I've been struggling with varying versions of it. **

**I am always very nervous when I'm posting a new chapter. I don't really know how to explain why, but it always feels like I'm giving away a part of myself when I post stories. Does that sound weird? What I'm trying to do with my writing is to make anyone reading it feel the various emotions the characters are experiencing for themselves. To reach that goal I need to feel all of them myself in order to write them down. This is what I mean, when I'm saying that there's a lot of myself hidden in my stories. And that's what's making me nervous. **

**It's just a good thing that I can hide behind my nickname here. That's probably the only reason I even dare to post anything here. ;-) Although I think I found some of you at a nice Zorro fan group on FB - thanks to katie1999. **

**Sorry for my ranting. Just ignore it and try to enjoy the next chapter. I sure hope you will. :D**

**The Lady in black**

**Chapter Sixteen**

Victoria just stood there, transfixed to the spot and in shock. She was upset and confused, happy and relieved, angry and curious. Her confusing emotions were taking her breath away and she leaned heavily against the doorframe trying to comprehend the revelations before her eyes. Even though he had grown a beard there was no doubt about it. It was Diego sitting there on the bed with Zorro's mask still in his hands.

"I'm sorry," Diego whispered hoarsely as he was watching her struggle to regain her composure. "This is probably a disappointment…"

"No!" Victoria screamed, shaking her head furiously. "It is not a disappointment. I just don't know what to think… and say," she said her voice quiet again. "I don't understand. You are supposed to be in San Francisco with your cousin and you're also supposed to be dead. I heard these banditos bragging about how they killed you. I was beginning to believe it when Zorro didn't come to the pueblo." Victoria wasn't talking to him. It was more like she was talking to herself in a feeble attempt to force herself to understand what simply could not be understood. "And now Felipe takes me to this godforsaken place and I have to find out that my best friend is also my lover and he is in bed with another woman," Victoria eventually addressed Diego looking him straight in the eye. "This is not a disappointment, Diego. I don't know what this is, but it certainly is quite confusing, to put it mildly."

"I know. And it never was supposed to happen this way," Diego began to explain but soon found himself at a loss for words. "Right now, I need your help, Victoria," and looking at the unconscious woman he added "Ana needs your help."

"Is that her name?" Victoria asked and made a few steps toward the bed. "Ana?" Diego nodded and looked down. "Well it looks like she needs help." Victoria finally sat down on the bed next to Diego, took the mask from him and put it aside. "Felipe said that you think she has pneumonia?"

"Yes. She is still burning up and she is suffering from a terrible cough. I've tried to get some fluids into her but I'm afraid that I wasn't very successful." Only then Victoria realized how tired and worn Diego looked. "Ana has saved my life, Victoria, probably in more than one way. I can't let her die."

"Alright," Victoria sighed and all her anger was suddenly subsiding when she looked into the blue eyes that she had once fallen in love with. They were clouded by yet unshed tears that dimmed the dazzling blue. "Tell me what you need."

"I need you to make a tea out of thyme, wolf's bane, and willow bark. Add some lavender, too. She is restless and her heart is beating way too fast. The lavender should help her rest more peacefully. And…" Diego hesitated before he continued. "We have to get her out of these clothes. Her high temperature has left her soaking wet." He looked at Victoria and steadied himself for an outburst of indignation that never came. Instead Victoria simply nodded. She got up from the bed and turned towards Felipe who was standing leaning against the doorframe.

"Please get some water, Felipe and start a fire. We'll need plenty of hot water," she asked and Felipe immediately left to do as he had been told. Then she turned back to Diego. "I understand that you're mobility is impaired?" Diego nodded, knowing where this was going.

"I'll have Felipe help me get to the main room so she can at least keep her dignity."

"Don't think that you're off the hook yet, senor," Victoria snarled. "There is a lot you have to answer for."

"I know. And I will gladly provide all the answers you need, after we've seen to her," Diego said quietly but with determination. "Without her, I would be dead."

"That's what you keep telling me," Victoria mumbled, unable to withstand the jealously that had been building up inside of her ever since Felipe had told her about Ana. Now that she saw the two of them together, she got a feeling that there was a greater closeness between them than Diego probably cared to admit. But before she had a chance to delve any further into the darkness of her troubling thoughts Felipe returned and signed that he had finished his tasks. "Thank you," Victoria nodded appreciatively. "Let's go then," she added towards Diego and without being aware of it she clenched her fists when she saw the concern for Ana in Diego's eyes.

Reluctantly he slipped away from the unconscious woman, making it quite obvious to everybody else in the room that he really didn't want to leave her side. An almost overwhelming urge to protect her was threatening to bind him with invisible chains to the spot. He felt Victoria's eyes upon him and feeling guilty he finally pulled away from Ana completely. Groaning with pain he scooted towards the edge of the bed and closed his eyes to imprison the pain inside him that all of this caused. Slowly he moved his legs over the edge and carefully probed the strength in his legs by putting some weight on it. Tears sprang to his eyes when the searing pain in the lower part of his back returned and made him gasp sharply in anguish.

"Maybe you should better stay in bed," Victoria offered when she saw what he was going through. All jealousy suddenly vanished and was replaced by compassion and concern for his wellbeing.

"No," Diego denied her offer more harshly than he had intended. "I'll manage. Felipe," he called out for his son, holding out his arm for him. "Help me stand, please." The younger man hurried to Diego's side and putting his arm over his shoulders he hauled Diego up from the bed. Felipe tried to not pay attention to the anguished yelp that escaped his father's lips, knowing well that Diego hated anybody seeing him like this. After all he was Zorro, the invincible legend that had no weaknesses and that felt no pain.

Slowly they made their way to the main room of the house and Diego fought hard to hold back his tears. Hardly ever before had he felt so humiliated and dependant. The compassionate looks Felipe and Victoria gave him were no comfort either.

So when he finally let himself drop heavily into Ana's armchair he refused to open his eyes and look at their concerned faces and the pity in their eyes.

"Are you alright?" Victoria's voice pierced through the painful haze that was engulfing his entire being.

"Yes," Diego hissed through gritted teeth, still refusing to look at either of them. A sensation that differed so completely from the current state he was in, shook him out of his paralysis and made his eyes open wide in surprise. Victoria's face was close to his and her lips were still slightly parted from the kiss she had just placed on his.

"Don't ever lie to me again," she whispered and kissed him once more, more deeply this time before he had a chance to say anything. Diego blushed slightly but returned the kiss, putting all of his love and yearning for her into it. When they eventually parted they were both out of breath for a few moments and their cheeks were flushed.

Victoria straightened and gave him a little smile before she turned her back to him and checked the temperature of the water in the kettle above the fire. Apparently the temperature was satisfactory as she quickly began to busy herself with finding the supplies she would need in order to tend to the other woman.

She quickly found a clean bowl and some fresh cloths and towels. Felipe helped her to pour some of the hot water into the bowl and added some of the dried lavender flowers when Diego advised him to do so. Victoria walked slowly into the bedroom balancing the bowl careful not to spill any of the water onto the floor. Felipe followed close behind her and placed the rest of the supplies at the foot end of the bed where Victoria could easily reach them.

"Thank you," she smiled at him and then shooed him out of the bedroom. Victoria closed the door and leaned against it for a few moments, staring at the still form of the woman on the bed.

"Who are you?" Victoria whispered and slowly approached the bed to take a better look at Ana's face. Underneath the feverish red on her cheeks she was pale and Victoria found herself wondering what this woman would normally look like, what color her eyes had, what her voice sounded like. Even now there was an aura of mystery surrounding her and Victoria tried to remember whether she had ever seen her in the pueblo. She was almost certain that she had seen her before, but she couldn't remember when and where.

Victoria placed the bowl of water that she was still holding on to on the nightstand and felt Ana's forehead. She was running a higher fever than she had ever seen on anybody else before and Victoria slowly began to understand what Diego meant, when he was talking about a matter of life and death. She pulled back the covers and opened the buttons of her sweat soaked shirt to reveal pale white skin. It took her a while to completely undress Ana and once the clothes were gone, Victoria hastened to cover her nudity with the covers. Only uncovering the parts of her body she was about to wash, she began sponging Ana down using the fresh cloths and the lavender scented water she had brought. Victoria worked quickly but tried not to wake her in the process. Ana's skin was perfect. There were hardly any beauty spots to disturb the powdery white and Victoria started to believe that in her youth she probably had been quite a beauty.

Victoria didn't want to expose her to the coolness of the room any longer than absolutely necessary and hurried to get her cleaned up quickly. When she was finished with Ana's face, chest, arms and legs, Victoria proceeded to turn her around so that she would lie flat on her stomach. But what she caught sight of then, made her gasp out in shock and taking a few stumbling steps back she hit the nightstand with her hips which sent the water bowl falling to the floor where it landed with a loud clashing noise.

"Victoria?" Diego's panicked voice came from the other room, but Victoria was too petrified by what she saw, that she couldn't respond immediately. Standing in a puddle of quickly cooling water, she stared at Ana's back. It was covered with countless enormous scars that went from her shoulders down to her hips. Most of them were reminders of what once must have been nasty wounds while others were quite thin and not as severe.

"Victoria?" Diego's voice sounded again, this time more loudly and demandingly. "What's wrong?" Victoria quickly grabbed the edge of the covers and pulled them up over Ana's bare back before she stormed into the adjacent room. Diego looked panicked and she knew that the look of horror on her own face did nothing to calm him down. "What's going on in there?" he demanded once again, fixing his stern gaze on her. "Victoria! Answer me!"

"She was flogged," Victoria whispered and felt hot tears rolling down her cheeks. "Not recently, but … I've never seen anything like this." Shaking her head as if she was trying to clear it, she sat down on the armrest of Diego's chair. "Her entire back is covered with scars, Diego. And they look nasty, like they used one of those whips that have thorns woven into the thongs."

"I need to see it for myself," Diego said after a few moments of silence and before Victoria or Felipe had a chance to utter a word of protest, he had lifted himself up from his seat, ignoring the pain in his back. It was Felipe who shook himself out of his apathy first and quickly he was at Diego's side to steady him on his way into the bedroom. Suppressing painful moans, Diego allowed him to support him on his way into the small bedroom. It took them quite a few minutes to get to Ana's bedside and once they were standing right next to her, Diego freed himself from Felipe's hold on his arm. Shutting the pain out, he slowly lowered himself onto the mattress and grabbed the edges of the bedcovers. Pulling them back gradually, Diego uncovered the many scars on Ana's back.

"What have they done to you?" he whispered with tears in his eyes, while he inspected the extent of the injuries that had been inflicted on her many years ago. "Why have you never told me about this? What were the sins you committed that brought this unto you?" Suddenly not able to look at her anymore, he lowered his gaze and held out his hand for Victoria, hoping that she would take it and give him some comfort.


	17. Chapter 17

****AN: Okay, this is not an actual AN, but I just need to say this. I was watching Blood Surf last night and I definitely prefer a certain actor we probably all have in mind when reading NWZ FF with all of his body parts attached. That was just gross. And the movie wasn't that great either. The plot was okay, but I was tempted more than once to turn off sound, because the music was just horrible. Sounded more like a ring tone than a movie score. However, I liked Mr Regehr's performance. But then again - that's not much of a surprise, is it. ;-)

AAN (actual author's note): In case you don't remember Zafira (and you all do, I'm sure of it), she appeared in "The old flame" (s3e11). I would also like to thank you for staying with me on this story. This has gotten so much longer than I had expected and it's still getting longer. But I have faith. Someday there'll be an end to this FF. I'm confident. LOL

**Chapter Seventeen**

Half an hour later Victoria finished the sponge bath she had given Ana and with some difficulty she dressed her in a nightgown she had found in the chest of drawers. After their discovery Diego had refused to leave the room, however he had shown the decency to turn his back at them, while Victoria was working on Ana. Using all available pillows she propped Ana up to rest against them so that breathing would be a little easier for her.

"All done," Victoria said when Ana was resting as comfortably as possible under the circumstances.

"Thank you," Diego smiled weakly at her when he had turned around to look at both of them. Closing his eyes for a moment he tried to detect that angry rattling sound in Ana's breathing and gave a sigh of relief when it was hardly audible.

"I'm not sure why I did this," Victoria said sullenly and quickly turned from the bed to gather the used supplies.

"What?" Diego queried, taken completely by surprise by her sudden mood swing. A few moments of heavy silence passed before Victoria spoke again.

"Don't think that I didn't see the look in your eyes when you saw her scars," she whispered in a gloomy voice. "Don't think that I didn't notice the fear and sorrow for her on your face ever since I got here." She paused again, taking a few deep breaths in as if she was trying to steady herself. "You've been lying to me all these years, Diego. You kept the barrier of your mask between us for such a long time and now that it has finally been removed, I suddenly don't know anymore who you are. Who both of you are." In an instant she turned and looked him straight in the eye. "You are not the man I fell in love with, Diego. You are not the man I suspected to hide behind the black silk." With every word she spoke her voice grew louder and more threatening.

"Victoria," Diego gasped and held his silence for a few moments in a feeble attempt to comprehend everything that had just been said. "What are you implying?"

"I'm not implying anything, Diego. And I don't want to talk about it tonight. I'm just trying to understand," Victoria said and her tone of voice indicated that this conversation was indeed over. "I'm tired and you should get some rest, too." She surveyed the room for a while as if she was looking for something specific. "Where are you sleeping?" she asked curiously, remembering perfectly well, that there was no other bed anywhere in the small house. When there wasn't an immediate answer from Diego she nodded slightly with her brows furrowed. "I understand. I'll get the tea for Ana," she practically spat out her name. Victoria stormed out of the room and left a confused and hurt Diego behind. Was that really the woman talking that he had lost his heart to so many years ago?

He had never considered himself a fool and he had certainly never thought himself to be naïve. But he never would have expected that reaction from her. It saddened him deeply that she had actually accused him of lying to her, something he'd never considered himself guilty of. Not telling her everything was not a lie and she had known from the beginning that the secret of his identity had to be protected for her sake and his own. So why was she accusing him of being a liar now? Was that what love was supposed to be like? An image of Zafira came to his mind and with it the memories of an infatuation that fate had killed before it had a chance to grow into love. When he met Victoria again after returning from Spain, he had thanked the Lord above on his hands and knees that he hadn't been bound in a marriage that juvenile levity had cradled. For all these past years he had been certain that what he and Victoria shared was indeed true love, the kind of love that turns simple men into poets and opens hearts and eyes of women, who had been oblivious to the world's beauty before – the kind of love that blesses both with a deeper understanding for one another and deprives one half of his or her will to simply exist, if the other one was gone for too long.

However, the way she was acting now, the way she was talking now planted the first seeds of doubt in his heart whether her love was really honest and true. Of course he realized that the circumstances were indeed most peculiar and that seeing him that close to another woman, that he deeply cared for, would shatter any woman's confidence and stretch her faith in any man to its limit. But apart from all this – had he ever given her any reason to doubt him?

Victoria came back with a tea tray in her hands and tore Diego out of his scattered thoughts. She placed the tray on the nightstand on his side of the bed where he could easily reach it and left the room without saying another word. For a while Diego sat on the mattress and stared at the dark wood of the door, before another cruel coughing fit made him turn towards Ana. Her head was red from the exertion and she was breathing heavily, desperately trying to pump some much needed air into her lungs. Diego poured a cup of the concoction and carefully balancing it in one hand, he moved closer to her side, supporting himself with his free hand. He stretched his legs before he leaned closer to her and brought the cup to her white lips. Parting them with the rim of the cup, he poured some of the still hot liquid into her mouth, hoping that some of it would find its way down her throat. Encouraged by his success he continued with equal care, but eventually she started to cough and he had to stop. Reaching over her he placed the nearly empty cup on her nightstand and then leaned against the headboard, looking down on the unconscious woman. Underneath closed lids, her eyes were moving rapidly as though she was reliving horrible images of her past in her nightmares.

Diego fought the urge to kiss the top of her head, remembering the hurt he had seen in Victoria's eyes. His loyalties torn he suddenly found himself in the awkward position of being forced to make a choice. But what were his options? Betray the love of his life for the friendship of a woman he hardly knew? Or stay true to the woman who had looked right into his soul, who had cared for a total stranger unconditionally and never asked for anything in return? Right next to him lay a woman, who had shut herself out from the world completely and had opened a tiny gap in her defensive walls to let him through.

And then there was Victoria who was willing to bless him with the gift of her love but not without imposing conditions, which he sometimes found difficult to fulfill. Until this day she had not known his true identity and all his fears seemed to come true whenever he looked in her eyes. In them he saw doubt, that she actually could love the man behind the mask, no matter what her promise not too many months ago had been._I've never known this man of flesh and blood. But I do know this. The courage and the passion that lives in Zorro's heart also lives in his._ Those had been her exact words and hardly had she ever spoken more straight from the heart. She had never known the man of flesh and blood. And now that she knew him – she didn't know the legend anymore, either.

Diego slid further down on the mattress and stretching out his long legs he lay down. Turning on his side he looked at Ana and let his fingertips run softly over her flushed cheek. The heat emanating from it frightened him and he found himself desperately praying for her to survive. For a while he simply lay on the bed with his eyes closed. No sounds came from the other room and he wondered where Felipe was. He would have expected him to come to the bedroom for the night where he could have stretched out on the floor on some blankets. But he never came and Diego found himself wondering whether he had wronged his adoptive son, too. Trying to keep himself awake, he tried to make sense of what he had seen earlier. Victoria had been right. Ana had been whipped at some point in her past and he wondered why. She didn't appear to be the kind of person that wouldn't pay her taxes or commit any other crime that would justify such a cruel punishment.

Diego turned on his side and resting his head on his arm he watched Ana's sleep. It was restless and haunted by feverish nightmares and he wished that he could take away some of the bitter agony they were causing her. His eyelids grew heavy in spite of his wandering mind that was trying to keep him from the rest he was in desperate need of. The day had been a straining one and the added emotional stress had robbed him of his strength. Still trying to resist, he fell asleep and drifted into a sleep that would provide him with very little rest.

When Diego woke a few hours later he felt as though he hadn't slept at all. The pain in his back was killing him and he couldn't prevent a loud moan of pain to escape his lips. With his eyes squeezed shut he forced himself to sit up in bed and holding his breath he shifted into a more comfortable position. Letting out a relieved sigh he closed his eyes once again when the pain in his back slowly began to fade away. The sun had only just begun to rise and Diego enjoyed the silence of the early morning hours. It was quite chilly in the room, now that the closed bedroom door withheld the warmth coming in from the fireplace in the main room. For a few moments he wondered whether he should try and somehow open the bedroom door, but to do that he would need to leave the bed and he wasn't sure that he was ready to do that.

"Don't even think about it," Ana's hoarse voice cracked the nearly impenetrable quiet that had laid its blanket over the house.

"Ana," Diego gasped in surprise and his eyes jerked open. "You're awake."

"That I'm not so sure of," Ana whispered. She smiled weakly when she felt Diego's hand on her forehead.

"You're still running a fever, but it's not as bad as it was yesterday. It seems my tea worked."

"Then why do I feel like an entire herd of horses ran over me? It would seem your tea is not that good after all."

"Believe me, it is that good," he grinned. "And you should have some more. I'm afraid it's cold now, though." Diego reached out to grab the cup from the nightstand and then refilled it with some of the still lukewarm tea from the teapot on his nightstand. Gently lifting her head, he helped her to drink. Ana nearly emptied the entire cup but another coughing fit prevented her from finishing it completely. Diego rested her head on the pillows and watched her with worry in his eyes until she relaxed.

"Wolf's bane, willow bark, and thyme. What a disgusting mixture," she croaked.

"But very effective. The willow bark lowered your fever and the thyme and wolf's bane fight the infection in your lungs. I added some lavender for a better taste, though," Diego smiled sheepishly.

"You added the lavender to make me sleepy," Ana retorted and closed her eyes, only to open them again a few moments later. "How did you accomplish all that? I'm sure I had no thyme and I was out of lavender, too," Ana stated, trying to fight off the overwhelming urge to fall asleep instantly.

"I sent Felipe to my cave to fetch some herbs and he was also supposed to bring Dr Hernandez here," Diego admitted, feeling very nervous all of a sudden. "But he was not at his office, so someone else came in his stead."

"Who?" Ana queried and from the sound of her voice Diego could tell that she was not too happy.

"Victoria insisted on joining Felipe. She thought she could be of help."

"Well, I certainly hope it was her who changed me into my nightgown," Ana said, a certain amount of discomfort in her voice. "Did you tell her?"

"She knows who I am, if that's what you mean."

"Good," Ana nodded only half awake when her entire body was once again shaken by a forceful coughing fit.

"Try to sleep now," Diego whispered when her coughing had ceased.

"I… wanna… know…" she mumbled quickly drifting into the welcoming comfort and warmth of sleep.

"Sleep. Or next time I'll have Felipe add some more lavender to the tea," Diego smirked.

"… wouldn't … dare…" Ana whispered and then sleep finally claimed her completely.


	18. Chapter 18

AN: I'm so sorry that I didn't update any sooner, but real life was kicking in and I had no time to write. Plus this is the chapter that troubled me the most while I was writing it. You'll finally be given at least one of the answeres you were all waiting for and this time it is definitely true when I say that we're approaching the end of this story. There'll probably be another four to five chapters until all secrets will be revealed. Thank you for staying with me on this bumpy ride. It's most appreciated.

**Chapter Eighteen **

For a while Diego watched Ana's sleep, listened to her labored breathing, felt the heat emanating from her entire body. Even though her few moments of awareness should have given him hope, he could not bring himself to actually feel it. Instead he felt torn inside, felt as though he was caught in the middle of a raging fire without any chance to escape. The silence in the room and the rest of the house was deafening and he felt like a prisoner, trapped in this tiny room and by the constraints of his own body. It seemed as though the walls were moving in, coming towards him and crush him in an instant. He knew that he was about to lose the woman he had been loving for so many years and the sheer thought threatened to make him lose his mind.

No longer able to keep still he decided that it was about time to put his strength to the test. He needed to get out, to get away from his troubles, even if it was only for a little while. And he needed to do it while everybody else was still sleeping and wouldn't try to stop him. Stifling a moan he scooted towards the edge of the bed and reached for his clothes that lay freshly cleaned and sewn and neatly folded on top of the chest of drawers. Still sitting down on the bed Diego got dressed pausing his efforts from time to time to listen whether anyone in the house had woken. Beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead by the time he was finished and he felt as exhausted as after a trying fencing duel with his former teacher at the University of Madrid, Sir Edmond Kendall.

Taking a deep breath in and with his eyes closed he tried to brace himself for the pain and exertion that he was about to face. Leaning forward he held on to the chest of drawers forced his strength into his legs so they would carry his weight when he would try to stand. A flash of pain bolted through his lower back and he squeezed his eyes shut more tightly, trying desperately to keep his anguish under control. Very slowly he straightened himself and when he finally stood upright he allowed himself a quiet sigh of relief that he had made it at least thus far. Gritting his teeth Diego made his first step towards the door and was surprised when the pain in his back wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. His legs were wobbly, however, and so he kept holding on to everything along the way for support. When he entered the main room, he saw Felipe sleeping stretched out on some blankets on the floor. Victoria was sitting curled up in one of the armchairs and from the expression on her face Diego could tell, that her sleep was at least as troubled as his mind and he knew that it was his fault. A feeling of shame crept up inside of him and he quickly took his eyes of her beautiful features.

The pain in his back had numbed down a little for the few moments that he'd just been standing there, but now that he was on his way to the front door, it returned and felt even more excruciating than before. With all his might he tried to shut the pain out and he wouldn't allow himself to succumb to nearly overwhelming urge to simply give up right then and there. It was not within him to just give up, to lose hope and surrender to his own weakness. Carefully placing one foot in front of the other Diego slowly walked toward the front door. Leaning heavily against the wall he turned the door knob and closed his eyes for a moment, sucking the cold fresh morning air into his lungs. He had missed that and with a slight feeling of relief washing over him, he proceeded onto the front porch and enjoyed the feeling as a cool breeze was engulfing his entire body.

Feeling more awake now he let his eyes wander over the strange surroundings. Ana's homestead was small but neat. From where Diego was standing he could see a small vegetable garden where she most likely grew all the crops that she would need to survive out here in this desolate part of Alta California. He was quite certain that there was no other farm within a couple of miles and not for the first time since he had arrived at her home he found himself wondering, how she could live like that – all by herself with only her horse to keep her company.

An enticing whinny made him turn his attention toward the corral where Toronado was standing by the fence with his head slightly tilted to one side. Diego couldn't help it but had to smile. Seeing Toronado standing there brought back the memories of freedom and independence, of a fight for the good cause, that only he could fight. His spirit and strength renewed Diego let go of the porch's railing and made his first step toward the corral. The pain in his back came back with full force, but he wouldn't be stopped now. He wanted to scream and let out his agony, but he couldn't, especially not now since he was so very close to his goal. It was difficult for him to keep his balance on his shaky legs but he focused all of his strength and energy into his attempt to walk the short distance to the corral without any support.

When Diego finally reached the corral's wooden fence, he sank to his knees and leaned his back against it, exhausted but relieved. Behind him Toronado gave a reproachful whinny that sounded almost as though he wanted to scold his master for being so stupid to attempt such a dangerous exertion all by himself. Diego turned his head to look at his horse, he had to stifle a laugh when he saw the accusation in the stallion's huge black eyes.

"You think it was not very wise of me to come out here all by myself just to see you, my good old boy?" Diego said, grinning. Toronado snorted loudly. "Well, maybe you are right. I shouldn't have come out here. Believe me, I'm certain Felipe and Victoria and Ana will have me answer to them," Diego continued, still somewhat grinning, but it was beginning to fade as awareness of the impossible situation he was in crept into his mind. "Oh Toronado," Diego sighed after a while and let his chin drop to his chest. "What have I gotten myself into?" Hiding his face in his hands he tried to get some order into his troubled mind. "I'm afraid Victoria hates me because she feels as though I have lied to her all these years, which I certainly have not. She even appears to be jealous of Ana and I can't even blame her. Ana and I – we have come so close, but on an entirely different level." Another snort of Toronado interrupted Diego and he wasn't sure whether it was one of disagreement or sympathy. "It's true, I do have feelings for Ana, but they're so different from my feelings for Victoria. Victoria, she … she has stirred a passion and love inside of me that I never knew I possessed. Ana on the other hand seems to understand who and what I am, what it is that I'm doing and why I'm doing it. It almost seems as though she could look straight into my soul and that scares me more than I care to admit. I'm certain Victoria saw all of this and I can't even blame her for being so infuriated. Not so long ago I devoted my love and my life to her and a few months later she comes here and finally has her heart's desire fulfilled when the man she's devoted herself to finally tears down the last barrier between them. And all of a sudden she doesn't know who that man is anymore. And even worse, I can't really blame her. But how can I make her see that Ana could never replace her?" Once again tears had begun to well up in his eyes and Diego hated himself for his own confusion, when all that was really going on inside him, just wanted to burst out into the open – when all he really wanted was to make Victoria see who he really was and how deep his love for her went. "Maybe I should just let her go, allow her to find some love and peace with someone else. It would appear as though all she'll ever get from me is disappointment and trouble." An indignant whinny from Toronado stopped Diego's rambling speech abruptly. "Well do you suggest I do, old friend? Go in and tell her that I love her and that there's nothing in the world that could ever come between us? I could…" The sound of the front door being opened made Diego stop midsentence and let his eyes wander back to the house to see who had interrupted their conversation.

Victoria stood in the doorway, leaning heavily against it and oblivious to Diego's presence. She looked tired and worn. Her eyes were red and puffy as though she had spent the better part of the night crying herself to sleep.

"Victoria," Diego whispered and his own feelings of guilt and shame made it unbearable for him to see her like that. She turned her face toward him, obviously startled by his unexpected presence.

"Diego," she cried out and quickly ran towards him, kneeling down in front of him. "What are you doing out here? How long have you been here and how on earth did you get here?" Worry was evident on her pale features and she leaned over to feel his forehead, as though she was afraid, that he might be running a fever.

"I had to get out for a while. I needed to be alone," Diego explained and covered her hand on his forehead with his own gently removing it from his face. The sudden sensation of his touch deprived her of her words and made her look at him in astonishment with her huge brown eyes. "I want to apologize, Victoria," Diego whispered after a while.

"There's no need to," Victoria said in an equally quiet tone of voice and sat down next to him in the dirt. Toronado retreated and trotted back to Águila's side who had been watching from the other end of corral. "I suppose it was just difficult for me to appreciate all that you were going through. For weeks I had to live with the possibility that you were dead. Those men came into the tavern a couple of weeks ago, taking pride in killing Zorro and I didn't know whether they were just frauds or really telling the truth. When you didn't show up, I was beginning to believe their words, even though in my heart I knew that you were still alive."

"I should have sent word sooner. But I couldn't," Diego nodded and dared to lay his arm around her trembling shoulders, drawing her closer to himself and his warmth.

"I was so scared, Diego, and lost. I wouldn't know what would become of me without you," Victoria whispered, her voice barely audible.

"I am so sorry, querida. My heart was yearning for you, but the restraints of my body held me a prisoner here – much to my own dismay as well as the one of my savior."

"What is it about that woman anyway, Diego? Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful that she saved your life, but … she is so strange. Felipe has told me about her what he knows and it wasn't much. And when I saw you with her last night I really thought that you had…" she didn't dare to finish what she was about to say, as if she was afraid that would turn into reality should she ever say it out loud.

"Fallen for her?" Diego voiced her troubling thoughts and his question was answered by her slight nod. "In a way I think I have," he admitted. "But not in a way a man usually falls for a woman. She is strange, you're right about that. Ana is kind and rejecting and very withdrawn and I'm still trying to figure out why. She unknowingly told me of some things that happened to her in her past, but she still remains a mystery. Sometimes I think that the Zorro part of me wants to rescue her from her self chosen exile from the world, but she won't let me."

"You can't save everyone, Diego," Victoria said and more confident of his love for her she snuggled up against him and allowed the warmth and strength of his body to comfort her.

"I suppose I can't. But if there's ever been anyone worth saving, then it's her," he muttered and planted a tender kiss on the top of her head. "May I ask one thing, my love?"

"What?"

"Never doubt my love for you, Victoria. With or without the mask, it is the one thing that has kept me going for all these years."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

zZzZz * Six days later – December 23rd * zZzZz

A numb pain in his thighs that he had grown accustomed to during the previous six days woke Diego early in the morning. The muscles in his legs were sore from the still unwonted exertion of walking and standing on his own again. Whenever he hadn't talked with Victoria, whenever he hadn't patiently answered her questions and hadn't listened to her hopes and dreams, whenever he hadn't checked on Ana's condition, he had spent every waking moment working against the weakness in his legs and with every step he had made on his own, he felt the pain in his back fade a little more and his confidence in himself returning.

However, the more he became his old self again, the more his mind seemed to be burdened by troubled thoughts. Christmas was rapidly approaching with Christmas Eve only one more day away and while he was still quite far from a full recovery, he couldn't and didn't want to stay away from his home and his family any longer. Felipe had left for the hacienda four days ago, however reluctantly. The young man still felt the tension between his adoptive father and the woman he hoped would be his adoptive mother one day. Even though Victoria would never have admitted to it, she was still quite jealous of Ana, who had found a way into Diego's heart that had been denied to Victoria so far.

She didn't know exactly why, but her confidence in their love had returned during those few fleeting moments they had spent sitting in the dirt in front of the corral. For the very first time there had been no mask between them and when she had lost herself in the depths of his blue eyes, it had felt to her as though she had been looking straight into his soul. And that had given her restless heart and soul the peace, she had been searching for far too long. With everything he was, he would be hers for all eternity and she was more than willing to repay him a hundredfold. But for that to happen they had to leave Ana's home and start their new life without the mask and also without Ana.

Diego got up and dressed, as usual ignoring the pain in his lower back and before he went to the main room he felt Ana's temperature. Her fever had broken only the day before and he still couldn't be sure that it would not return even more severely. To his relief her forehead felt quite cool to the touch and so he quietly proceeded into the other room. Victoria was still asleep stretched out on the floor on the blanket that Felipe had abandoned and left for her a few days earlier. Diego sat down in one of the armchairs and watched his lover's sleep for a while, conjuring up images in his mind what it would be like when he would get to watch her graceful and peaceful features every morning as soon as they would become a married couple.

"Good morning," Victoria's voice tore him out of his daydream and Diego returned her tired smile.

"Good morning," he whispered and was about to bend down to give her a small tender kiss, when a sharp pain bolted through his lower back that forced him to sit straight again. "That didn't go quite as planned," he grinned sheepishly, trying to hide the extent of the anguish he felt.

"You said that yesterday, remember?" Victoria sat up and got on her knees right in front of him. "Methinks a studious mind as yours should be far more adaptive than this to any situation," she teased and eventually got up, leaving a fleeting kiss on his lips before she stood straight.

"Love's known to turn any man into a fool," Diego agreed somewhat submissively and watched her checking the still glowing remnants of the previous night's fire. Victoria carefully placed some firewood on top of the glowing ambers and had to wait for a little while, before the first flickering flames began to lick on the freshly added logs.

"Coffee or tea?" she asked once she was satisfied with her efforts' results and was already on her way to the kitchen cabinet.

"Some coffee would be nice," Diego admitted. "But we need to talk," he added earnestly, his gaze fixed on the renewed fire in front of him.

"What is it?" Worry was evident in Victoria's voice as she turned to face him.

"Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and apart from my years in Spain, I cannot remember a single Christmas that I have spent without my family," Diego said quietly. "My father would never believe that I would spend this special time of the year away from home, even if I were to spend it with another relative. And you have to return to the pueblo, too. Or have you canceled this year's celebrations at the tavern?" he queried, still trying to avoid voicing the thought that he found most troubling.

"No, I have not. But I started early with the preparations. All is set and Pilar and the other women will only have to carry my plans out." Victoria set the coffeepot down and shot Diego a curious glance that instinctively made him turn his head toward her. "I doubt that my business plans do trouble you all that much, Diego." She leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "It's about Ana, isn't it," she stated, her voice making it perfectly clear, that this was indeed not a question.

"You do read me well," Diego admitted, feeling shame and guilt crawling up inside him as he knew very well, that Ana was a very sensitive subject with Victoria. "It's just…"

"That you are in her debt because she saved your life and now that she's very ill you cannot leave her alone. Am I right?" Victoria finished his sentence for him, her face bearing an unreadable expression.

"Yes," Diego said at length after a while, his heart beating nervously in his chest. Not able to look at Victoria any longer, he once again fixed his eyes on the flames in the fireplace and so he could only hear her quiet steps and the rustling of her skirt as she walked towards him. A few moments passed and he felt her hands on his shoulders, her touch giving him some comfort and reassurance.

"I do admit that I am not terribly fond of her," Victoria said in a hushed voice, but loud enough for Diego to understand. "But I suppose I have to accept that something happened between the two of you, that I have yet to understand. Until then don't think of me as a woman without a heart and a conscience, Diego. While I don't know everything that has happened in these past weeks, I think I understand that you cannot simply abandon her when she is that weak and ill. It would go against everything that you stand for – and what I ultimately fell in love with." Victoria planted a kiss on top of his head and then hugged him from behind. "I do love you, Diego. I know I said terrible things the day I came here. My only excuse is not a good one. I was scared and confused. People were talking about Zorro's death and for weeks all I had that gave me hope, was that weird feeling inside of me that told me, that they were wrong, that if you indeed were dead, I would know."

"I am so sorry, Victoria," Diego sighed, on the verge of tears. "I know I should have let you know that I was still alive, but I just didn't know how without raising suspicion. Maybe I could have…"

"It doesn't matter now, Diego," Victoria interrupted him and letting go of him for a few brief moments, she circled the armchair he was still sitting in and knelt down in front of him to look him straight in the eyes. "All that matters is that we are together and there's nothing that can separate us now." She leaned up and placed a tender kiss on his lips that held all her love for him.

"I love you," he smiled when their lips had finally parted and underlined the meaning of his words with a smile.

"So it's final then," Victoria said in a matter of fact kind of voice. "We're staying. And we'll think of something to tell your father."

"Why don't you try and tell him the truth? It has done the two of you a world of good. Why should it be any different with your father?" The unexpected sound of Ana's voice startled them and made them both turn their heads in her direction. She was just standing there and watching them leaning heavily against the frame of the bedroom door. "I am sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." She was pale and the dark circles under her eyes made her look more like a ghost than a human being.

"What are you doing? You're in no condition to be out of bed, senora!" To everyone's surprise it was Victoria who spoke up first after she had overcome her initial shock of someone else being in the room with them.

"Your concern is most appreciated, Senorita Escalante," Ana said with a mild nod toward her. "However, I think Don Diego has taken advantage of my hospitality for far too long now. It's a good thing that you came, senorita. He cannot travel on horseback yet and it would be most kind of you if you agree to take him back to the de la Vega hacienda on your wagon."

"Ana…" Diego was too shocked and too surprised by her sudden change in behavior to form a single clear thought or sentence.

"You were quite right, Senor de la Vega. Christmas is a time that needs to be spent with one's family. Senorita Escalante, your father and last but not least your son were denied the exquisite pleasure of your company for far too long," Ana said and wanted to continue but was cut short by a terrible coughing fit.

"We cannot leave you alone! Not as long as you're ill!" Diego insisted and looked as though he was ready to jump to his feat, but was held back by Victoria's soft, yet firm hand on his shoulder.

"There's no need to worry about me," Ana contradicted him once the coughing had ceased. "I am quite capable of taking care of myself, Senor de la Vega. I've been doing so for the past seven years. Besides, there's nothing more that I can do for you to help you heal. Thus your time to leave my house has come." Ana paused and looking him straight in the eyes, her expression got cold. "You are no longer welcome here, senor." The words passed her lips slowly and were meant to hurt. "I expect you to leave no later than in two hours." With it said she turned on her heels and went back into the bedroom, throwing the door shut behind her.

zZzZz

Two hours later Victoria sat on the wagon waiting for Diego to hide Toronado's saddle and bridle underneath a couple of blankets on the back of the wagon. They had hardly spoken a word ever since Ana's announcement, both of them too confused by her demeanor to think clearly. When Diego had entered the bedroom to retrieve his few belongings, Ana had her back turned towards him and he hadn't dared to disturb her sleep. So he had contented himself with picking up his clothes, saber, and hat, and had left the room unaware of the fact, that his mask had slipped out from the bundle in his arms and fell to the floor. With a last glance toward the sleeping form of Ana on the bed, he had quietly closed the door and left for good.

"Don't you think you should try to talk to her? It is not wise to leave her alone like this," Victoria said, when he attempted to climb the coach box. He grimaced in pain and Victoria offered him a helping hand, which he declined in a foolish fit of pride. When he eventually sat down next to her, he was breathing heavily both from the exertion and pain and Victoria waited a few moments for him to regain his composure.

"I know that," Diego said through gritted teeth, still trying to will the pain in his back away. "But I don't think there's a way to convince her. She's too stubborn and won't listen to reason."

"I was afraid of that," Victoria said and looked in the direction Toronado had already set off to. "Why do you think was he so reluctant to leave?" she asked and gave Diego a quizzical look.

"I don't know. Maybe he's found himself a special someone, too," Diego smiled weakly and kissed Victoria's blushing cheek. Without another word Victoria clicked her tongue and her horse slowly began to trot up the path that led away from Ana's house and into the open plains.

They left as oblivious to Ana hiding behind the slightly opened front door, watching them as they drove off as they were oblivious to hot tears that ran down her pale cheeks.

AN: Argh, I do feel bad for Ana. Even though I've never planned any of this differently. But I still feel bad for her.

We're getting there. Next up: Don Alejandro. *evil grin* Probably won't happen before the weekend, though. Sorry. However, I'll happily forward any complaints to my dentist, who's probably gonna torture me quite a bit tomorrow. LOL


	20. Chapter 20

AN: Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving and I hope you still have some money left in your pockets after Black Friday. :-) After this there'll be only two more chapters. Steel yourselves. *g*

jkl88: I am so sorry to hear that! Get well soon!

**Chapter Twenty**

"I don't know whether this is such a good idea," Diego's voice suddenly broke the silence that had been hovering over them ever since they had left Ana's homestead. Hardly a word had been spoken and Victoria had been wise enough to allow Diego to ponder over whatever it was that had brought him his troubled thoughts.

"What isn't?" Victoria queried, surprised by the sudden end of their uncomfortable quietness.

"It has always been difficult to please my father. To say that he was disappointed when he first found out what had become of me during my years in Spain would be quite the understatement. A man like him certainly is not too fond of a son whose passions are the arts and sciences and books," Diego explained his musings and glanced sideways at Victoria, who was holding the reins loosely in her hands.

"Well, the always studious scholar is only one half of you, Diego. There's also the man that passionately fights against injustice, risking his own life almost daily. Do you really think that counts for nothing?" Victoria tried to reason with Diego and with a grin she added "Besides, you are wearing Zorro's clothes. It's probably a little late for second thoughts anyway."

"Not necessarily. We could still use the entrance to the hacienda that leads through the fox's lair."

"So the cave is connected to the hacienda?" Victoria inquired incredulously.

"Certainly," Diego nodded. "Maybe Felipe has left some of my normal clothes there so I could change before we go to face my father," Diego mused and shot Victoria a surprised look when she suddenly pulled the reins and forced her old horse to stop. "What?"

"Diego," Victoria turned towards him and after she put the reins aside, took his hands in her own and forced him to look her in the eyes. "Will you answer me one question?"

"If I can," he nodded, but hesitation was evident in his voice.

"Why have you felt the need to keep your true identity a secret all these years?"

"You know why! I've told you before. The knowledge of Zorro's true identity is too terrible a secret for anyone to bear. It is dangerous to know who I am," Diego said irritably, not certain where their conversation was going.

"Dangerous it might be. But don't you think that you were making choices that were not yours to make when you decided to keep it all a secret?" Victoria argued. "You should have trusted the ones you love to keep the secret and support you. Instead you chose to be two different people and each one of them kept the other one from everything he deserved and needed. It's time that all of this comes to an end." Victoria sighed and cupped Diego's cheek with her hand. "I do admit that I was disappointed when I found out, that I was even angry." She saw the hurt and confusion return to his features and quickly continued. "But it wasn't because I found my best friend hiding underneath the mask of the man I love. I was disappointed and angry because you apparently had so very little faith in me and our love. So maybe your father will feel the same disappointment and anger, but with time he will understand. I'm sure of it."

"You sound like Ana," Diego sighed, avoiding her eyes.

"Well, then maybe she's a much wiser woman than I ever gave her credit for," Victoria concluded and took his face between her hands and with it forced him to look at her. "I love you, Diego. And so does your father. Just have a little faith in the people closest to you." Without waiting for an answer she kissed him on the lips and then she took the reins to urge her horse back into motion. "We're almost there," she announced as she turned her attention back on the road ahead.

Indeed it only took them about another thirty minutes to arrive at the hacienda and it was Felipe who spotted them first. With his eyes wide in surprise and shock he threw the broom aside that he had been using to swipe the dust off the stone steps leading up to the front door and went towards the approaching wagon. Victoria stopped the wagon right in front of the main gate and handed the reins to Felipe who had been holding out his hand to help her down.

"Felipe? What's going on…?" Don Alejandro came out through the front door in order to see what was going on outside, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Victoria's wagon with his son on it. "Diego…" he mumbled and his eyebrows shot up instantly as he mustered his only son. Victoria and Felipe had both walked around the wagon in order to help Diego down who was already preparing himself mentally for the pain that was inevitably going to come. Alejandro watched them as they helped his son down from the wagon with difficulty and his heart nearly skipped a beat when he saw the grimace of excruciating pain on his son's face. He rushed towards them and unable to do anything else he simply walked next to them as they supported the limping Diego on his way into the hacienda.

As soon as they were inside, they helped him to sit down on one of the chairs in the parlor. Beads of sweat had built up on Diego's forehead and he was breathing heavily while he was trying to get the pain under control. Alejandro's gaze was still fixed on his son's tormented features. He desperately wanted to know what was going on and what had happened on his journey home from Santa Barbara. Realizing that his son was in no condition to give him the answers he needed, Alejandro turned to Victoria and Felipe who were both kneeling on the floor next to Diego.

"Would someone please tell me what has happened?" the older Don demanded in a voice harsher, than he had intended it to be. Three pairs of eyes looked at him at once, but no one spoke. "Were you mugged on your way home, Diego?" Alejandro now addressed his son directly, but the younger man was still too numb with pain to utter a single word. "My patience is beginning to wear thin," Alejandro said in a sharp voice and sat down on a chair opposite to Diego's.

"Father," Diego tried to speak up, but was interrupted by another jolt of pain in his lower back.

"Don Alejandro," Victoria spoke up shyly and turned toward him. "I am certain that Diego will explain everything once he's caught his breath," she tried to soothe the older Don who still had his gaze fixed on his son.

"Well, what is there to explain? I was led to believe that my son was with his cousin in Santa Barbara to help him establish his business there. However, when I sent a letter to Diego there I never got a response from him. Instead, my dear nephew informed me in his reply that I only got yesterday that Diego was actually never there." Alejandro's voice rose with every word he was saying and by now he was actually yelling at them. "I tried to make Felipe tell me where my son was, but he didn't know either. So would somebody please tell me now what the hell is going on here?" He mustered his son and only then he noticed the strange clothes Diego was wearing. "And why, pray tell, are you all dressed in black? You never wear black!" Alejandro was fuming. He felt betrayed and lied to.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you for quite some time now, father," Diego said hoarsely, when he could finally keep his pain at bay. "There's something that you don't know about me, something that has driven a wedge between us."

"Son, you are only confusing me more," Alejandro interrupted Diego.

"You were always so very disappointed with me because apparently I never became the man you expected me to be," Diego paused, fighting to find the right words. "But I never let you see all of me. I am not only the studious bookworm you despise so much. As you know I was taught the art of fencing by Sir Edmond. However, what you don't know is that I bested him shortly before your letter arrived. As a reward he gave me his saber. I don't know why I never told you about it immediately after I returned home. I was so proud and I knew that you would be too. Well, as I would find out later, there was a good reason about to present itself. When I saw what was happening to the people of the pueblo, when I saw all the injustice and corruption of our beloved pueblo's leader, I knew I had to do something. The day you and Victoria were arrested and put into jail, a legend was born. And I was the one to bring it to life." Diego paused in an attempt to catch his breath and will away another nauseating wave of pain that was about to wash over him.

"Diego, you do not make sense. What are you trying to tell me?" Alejandro queried, but anger and frustration had left his voice.

"I am the man who broke you and Victoria out of the alcalde's prison."

"Well, that can't be, because it was Zorro who…" Alejandro never finished his sentence. A confusing mixture of shock and surprise numbed his mind and left him mesmerized for a few moments. "Are you trying to tell me, that you are…?" He didn't dare to finish his thought and just stared at Diego with his mouth open.

"Zorro," Diego said and looked on the floor, unable to look his father in the eyes. "When I so suddenly disappeared a couple of weeks ago I got into an ambush. A group of banditos was following me and they trapped me. I was shot and fell off Toronado's back. Unfortunately I fell on a large rock and the resulting injury paralyzed me for the better part of the last few weeks. That's why I couldn't come back sooner. Unbeknownst to me, Felipe forged that letter you received. It was a good thing he did it, though, because I had taught him that Zorro's secret must be protected at any cost. Even if it meant to lie to everyone close to me – and him."

"Felipe _knew_ about all of this?" Alejandro found it hard to keep his temper in check. He shot an angry look at the young man. Felipe was distraught and avoided the older man's gaze.

"He is not to blame for any of this, father," Diego continued before his father's anger could come over his adoptive son. "It is indeed all my fault. We had an agreement. If I wouldn't return from one of my nightly rides he was supposed to come up with an excuse to explain my absence. It was a terrible thing to ask of him, but since he was my only confidant, I had no other choice," the tone of his voice bore evidence of the guilt and shame he felt for putting such a young man in such a horrible position. "For a long time I had no chance of getting into contact with Felipe in order to inform him of what had happened to me."

"Where were you anyway?" Alejandro asked and looked quizzically at his son. "You couldn't possibly have tended to such severe injuries yourself."

"I was found by a stranger. She brought me to her house and nursed me back to health. I'd certainly be dead without her."

"Who is she? What is her name? I shall have to go to thank her myself," Alejandro demanded to know and felt his anger return when he saw Diego shaking his head.

"Do you remember that woman we sometimes see in Los Angeles on market days? The one sometimes giving away herbal elixirs and ointments to the poorest of the farmers?" Diego asked and by the expression on his father's face he could tell, that Alejandro knew quite well who he was talking about. "Her name is Ana. Toronado found her and brought her to me. She lives quite far from here, somewhere out in the plains where I've hardly ever been before. It turned out that she knows quite a bit about medicine."

"I always thought that she was just passing through Los Angeles like all the other peddlers that rush into our pueblo on market days. But if she is actually a part of our community, then why is she living so far away?"

"I don't know," Diego admitted, unable to answer his father's question truthfully. "All I do know is that something must have happened in her past that has turned her into a bitter and lonely woman. She doesn't want anybody to know that she even exists and only comes out of her hiding place when she absolutely has to." Diego was exhausted and slightly squeezed Victoria's hand that he had been holding onto for moral support ever since he had sat down on the chair he was still sitting on. Silence had come over them and Diego was certain that his father was trying to figure out what he was supposed to make of all of this. When he looked up, he saw the older man staring out of one of the large windows, gnawing at his thumbnail, deeply lost in his thoughts.

"So my son Diego is Zorro," Alejandro mumbled after what seemed like an eternity. "My always studious, bookish, mild mannered, annoyingly idle son is the legendary hero of our pueblo." He shook his head, as if he was trying to chase this new reality away, because the sheer thought of it was nothing short of madness. "I'm not sure what I am supposed to be angrier about," Alejandro suddenly looked at Diego again, his brown eyes glaring at his son's blue ones. "The fact that you kept such a tremendous secret from me for all these years or the fact that I never did anything in all that time that would have entitled me to know the truth about my son."

"You mustn't blame yourself, father. It was me who wanted to protect you by keeping all of this a secret. As I've said before. I've been meaning to tell you about me for a long time. But the risk of being unmasked and detected was always too high and I feared the consequences my life as an outlaw would mean for you," Diego tried to calm his father.

"I suppose someday I will understand," Alejandro said and gave his son a weak smile. "I know I said terrible things throughout the years, Diego. If I had only known that my son was actually a different man…" He paused, attempting to find the right words for what he was trying to say. "It probably doesn't mean anything now, but I am proud of you, son. Only a man with a lot more strength that I've ever possessed, could accomplish such an outstanding thing." Alejandro got up and made the few steps towards his son. "You look exhausted. We should take you to bed so that you can rest." First turning to Victoria and then to Felipe he added "I trust you will help us?"

"Of course," Victoria said with a smile and Felipe simply nodded.

"I still have a lot of questions, though," Alejandro said. "But there are only two questions that I do need an immediate answer to."

"What are they?" Diego asked and looked up at his father.

"Well, first of all I'd like to know when Felipe got his hearing back," Alejandro said with earnest, but couldn't stop a smile from appearing on his lips, when he saw the surprised look on Felipe's and Diego's faces. "I've known for a while now. Obviously Felipe's acting abilities are not quite as well defined as yours, Diego. Secondly, I'd like to know how you," he first looked at Victoria then back at Diego "will explain your sudden fondness of each other. I trust there'll be a wedding soon?"

"I certainly hope so," Diego smiled and looked at Victoria expectantly. She smiled back at him and reaching into a secret pocket in her skirt, she pulled out the ring, Diego as Zorro had given her a couple of months before. Never taking her eyes of Diego she slipped it on her finger.


	21. Chapter 21

AN: I know I said there would be only two more chapters. Turns out I was wrong. Make that three. This chapter is already much longer than my usual chapters are and so I decided to split it in two. Honestly, I didn't mean to do that, but I suppose nothing ever goes exactly as planned. Please accept my apologies. I'll try to post the remaining part of this chapter as soon as possible. I think it's about time this story was finished.

katie1999: Alejandro asked Diego why he was dressed all in black. I probably should have described the situation more clearly. In my mind Diego was only wearing his Zorro shirt, pants, and boots on his trip back home. I figured that Alejandro probably wouldn't think of Diego as Zorro without the saber, hat, and of course the mask.

jkl88: Feel better soon. I hope that first diagnosis of only a sprained foot instead of a broken one hasn't caused any more damage.

**Chapter Twenty one**

Diego was sitting behind his large desk in his cave lost deeply in his thoughts. Not even Toronado's occasional whinnies could tear him out of his absent-mindedness in which he relived all the events of the past few weeks. Christmas had been a joyous and peaceful time. His family had decided to leave him be at least for the holidays but afterwards they had bombarded him with innumerable questions born out of a curiosity that only he could satisfy. With patience he had answered everything and when at first he could still see the anger in their eyes for his prolonged deceit, he soon saw that same anger turn into understanding and even admiration for his tireless devotion to the people of the pueblo and themselves. They had granted him their forgiveness a lot more easily than Diego had expected and thus he had begun to ask himself whether he had not been making a fool of himself whenever he had tried to find excuses to not tell them entire truth about him and the legend he had created. Of course his need to keep his father, Felipe, and Victoria out of harm's way never served as a simple excuse but had always been a dire necessity. Thinking back, however, he had to admit that he had always been scared what their reaction would be – whether they'd reject him for everything he had done and still continued to do or probably even disagree with his methods to such a degree that they'd betray him and give his identity away to the Alcalde. These stupid thoughts had been born in the depths of his own despair and bore evidence of his greatest fear – to lose them and their love without a chance to get either back.

However, there was one thing or rather someone that surprised him more than anything else. Victoria had adapted to all these newly found truths a lot more easily than he had ever thought possible. When he had feared her rejection, she had welcomed him with her arms wide open and it astonished him greatly that the revelation of her lover's true identity had come to her as a great relief rather than one of the biggest disappointments of her entire life. She had forgiven him for all the years of deception and seemed to be content that the love of her life was no longer a mystery, a shadowy figure that would and could never be hers. Diego on the other hand was a man of flesh and blood, vulnerable and yet strong, romantic and yet realistic, strong willed and yet mild mannered. To her he was the man of her dreams and she hardly let a moment pass without reassuring him of just that.

"Diego! Oh good, here you are," Alejandro smiled as he hurried into his son's cave. "I just got news from the pueblo. Our beloved Alcalde is up to something."

"Father," Diego gasped in surprise as he had not heard anyone coming in as deeply lost in his thoughts as he had been. "What news?"

"Well, it would appear that De Soto has come up with another of his infamous taxes to deprive the poor of what little they have," Alejandro fumed and sat down on a stool Felipe normally occupied whenever he was listening to one of Diego's lessons. "Believe it or not, he's levied a tax on the mission's poor box, claiming that it was actually good tax money that this charitable nonsense cost him - of course without discussing the matter with Padre Benitez. Apparently he thinks he can do as he pleases with Zorro no longer breathing down his neck."

"It is still early in the morning. When did you learn of all of this?" Diego wanted to know.

"It is not that early, my son. It's way past ten actually," Alejandro said irritably. "The other Dons and I met at Victoria's tavern for an early breakfast to discuss some business. Sergeant Mendoza came in shortly after us and nailed the parchment with the proclamation to the wall. He didn't look happy, especially when Victoria's wrath hit him." Alejandro couldn't help but had to smile at the memory of Victoria yelling at the poor sergeant at the top of her voice.

"He's the one least responsible for any of this, father," Diego said somewhat absent mindedly. "But I think I know who is," he added with a strange look on his face.

"Well, the Alcalde is responsible, of course," Alejandro said at length, not knowing where this conversation was going.

"Indeed," Diego agreed, but shook his head at the same time, which only added to his father's confusion.

"What's on your mind, son?" he eventually asked, when Diego's thoughts seemed to drift somewhere he couldn't follow.

"It's a trap," Diego stated after a while, without looking at Alejandro. "It's a trap for Zorro. Obviously he needs to know whether I'm still alive and he's come up with this new tax to lure me into the pueblo. He must know that I'll never stand for such an outrageous act of tyranny against the church and the poorest in our community." Suddenly his eyes focused and he looked at his father with a determination, Alejandro had only seen in Zorro's eyes before. "It is time for Zorro to ride again," Diego declared with a definiteness in his voice that scared his father.

"Diego, you cannot possibly consider to go against the Alcalde all by yourself. You're not fully healed yet. It would be madness to let Zorro reappear right now," Alejandro contradicted and jumped to his feet. "I didn't come here to tell you all of this because I wanted you to ride as Zorro. I wanted your opinion on this and maybe help me to come up with some kind of solution for the problem."

"Well in my opinion this is a trap for Zorro and he's the only one who can solve this problem. Besides, De Soto has never been much of an opponent for me. If I can manage to surprise him while he is alone, I won't need all of my strength to best him," Diego tried to argue but the look on his father's face told him he had not been very convincing. "I know I once said that you cannot always rely on Zorro to solve your problems. But in this case, it is different. It is I who's brought this upon all of you and so I am the one who will have teach De Soto a lesson."

"No, Diego. You won't. It is too risky. It's as simple as that. If it's really a trap then he will expect you and even though we might sometimes doubt his sanity, De Soto is too clever a man to not take all the necessary precautions," Alejandro tried to reason with his son but suddenly found himself face to face with him, when Diego rose from his chair. Even though he had tried his best to hide it, the dull pain in his lower back reminded him, that he had indeed not yet fully recovered. Diego cursed inwardly, when he saw that his father had indeed noticed his hardly visible pained grimace. "You cannot ride as Zorro. Not like this!" Alejandro insisted and turned on his heels to indicate that this conversation was over.

"I should have known better," Diego mutter under his breath, but his muttering made his father stop.

"Than what, Diego," Alejandro asked in a low voice.

"Than to tell you about me being Zorro. You cannot understand all of the consequences that leading this double life brings."

"Maybe you're right. But you have and I am glad that you have told me. However, I cannot let you run into such an obvious trap, Diego! I may have led you to believe otherwise, but I do care about you and I always have."

"I know father. But this is beyond you and me. When I first put on the mask I accepted the risks and consequences. I cannot fail those who need me the most and I beg you to understand that."

"Then at least include me in whatever you are planning to do. I may be old, but I can still fight."

"No, father. You don't have the luxury of a mask disguising your true identity. It would be too easy for De Soto to figure out who I really am if you're helping me," Diego declined his father's offer. "I will think of something that won't endanger me too much. I promise."

"Well, I guess I'll just have to trust you then," Alejandro finally gave in when he realized that there was just no way of talking Diego out of his plans, now that he had made up his mind.

"All will be well, father," Diego smiled at the older man and slowly walked around his desk and placed a comforting hand on Alejandro's shoulder. "It is not the first time that De Soto tries to lure me into a trap. I'll handle it."

zZzZz

Later that night Diego was alone in the cave and was getting ready for Zorro's first ride after many weeks. He had spent most of the day trying to come up with a plan, but in the end he had settled for his usual method that had worked many times in the past. Using the darkness of the night as a disguise and companion he would sneak into the pueblo unseen by anyone when everybody else was sleeping and forcefully seek entrance to De Soto's quarters. Unfortunately going through the roof as he normally would, was quite out of the question as the persisting lack of strength in his lower extremities deprived him of the use of some of his usual methods.

Despite all the difficulties he had to face due to his condition he was looking forward to Zorro's next ride. The thrill of the adventure and the knowledge that justice would be served spurred his instincts of a warrior into action and he felt the excitement return that always washed over him shortly before Zorro would ride into the night and fight its demons.

The only thing that abated his zeal was the fact that he had actually once again lied to Victoria, his father, and this time even to Felipe. When had tried to convince them of his plan to let Zorro ride again, they had forbidden him to do so and had threatened that they'd lock him up in his room with one of them constantly keeping an eye on him, should he not abandon his plans. Upon their insistence he had promised them that he would do nothing that would bring him in harm's way, knowing very well right then and there, that Zorro's ride that night was already written in stone. His words had calmed them some and he had been wise enough to not stir the topic of De Soto's new tax again.

With a feeling of shame of his renewed deceit he put the black silk on his face and fastened the knot securely on the back of his head. Glancing into the mirror he saw a different man looking back at him, a man that knew neither fear nor pain and didn't heed the consequences his actions one day would probably bring upon him. His doubts as much as his face were hidden behind the mask and to him it felt as though Don Diego's conscience vanished into meaninglessness. Flashing his infamous Zorro smile at the mirror to encourage himself, he turned on his heels and went to mount the already ready and waiting Toronado. His faithful companion whinnied eagerly and when he felt his master's weight on his back he immediately set off to the cave's secret exit and into the cold February night.

Even though each and every single one of Toronado's movements sent fresh waves of pain through his body, he enjoyed the feeling of being back in the saddle thoroughly. An almost forgotten sense of freedom and seemingly limitless power took hold of him and gave him the courage he needed to face the threats he was about to oppose. He rode hard and fast and it didn't take him long to reach the small pueblo. Slowing Toronado into a trot Diego used the darkness of the night as his disguise when he approached the cuartel from the back. It wasn't much of a surprise when he couldn't spot any guards as De Soto had never deemed the extra caution during the late hours of the night necessary. The rooms behind the few windows were all dark and Diego dismounted Toronado close to one of its walls.

"Stay here," Diego whispered and without having to look at his faithful stallion, he knew that he'd been understood. Avoiding the soft light the moon spread over the nightly pueblo he snuck along the cuartel's walls until he came to the green wooden door that led into the Alcalde's quarters. Using his dagger he picked the lock with ease and quietly closed the door behind him after he had stolen into the darkness of the Alcalde's office. Without making a sound he crept further into the room and passing De Soto's desk he went towards the heavy curtains that parted the Alcalde's private quarters from his office. Diego drew his dagger and used it to lift the heavy cloth slightly so that he could peek into the room. He could hear someone snore and with a mischievous grin he slid past the curtains and melted into the shadows behind them.

The private quarters of the Alcalde were much darker than his office which was dimly lit by the pale moonlight. Keeping close to the wall Diego waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the spacious room and after a short while silhouettes of the furniture began to appear before his eyes. However, the ostentatious bed was empty and a dangerous silence had spread through the room. The snoring sounds had disappeared and Diego suddenly felt the change in the atmosphere. Something was not quite right here and he knew that he was about to get caught in the trap that had been set for Zorro. His right hand slowly moved to the hilt of his saber clasping it tightly. Diego just stood in the shadows waiting somewhat nervously for whatever he would have to face. He suddenly felt way too aware of his own weakness and the dull pain in his back reminded him all too clearly that he was not yet back to his usual agility and strength.

"Senor Zorro," a familiar voice snarled somewhere in the darkness and Diego turned quickly toward the direction where it was coming from. "This has worked out better than I could have imagined."

"I wish I could say that it was a surprise to find you lurking in the dark, De Soto," Zorro said with much more confidence in his voice than he actually felt. "So why don't you come out and get it over with."

"Not this time, Zorro," De Soto said and before he had finished, lamps were lit in several parts of the room. Soldiers had been hiding in the room and the Alcalde was sitting in an armchair his lips parted in a wicked grin. "This time I am not quite as unprepared." De Soto got up and grabbed his saber that had been leaning against the armrest. Walking towards his archenemy with the tip of his saber pointed at Zorro's throat his grin grew even wider. "You won't come out of here alive. Not tonight."

"We'll see about that," Zorro retorted and quickly drew his own saber and lunged towards the Alcalde. The sound of metal against metal filled the room and Diego felt the usual excitement of swordplay rush through his entire body. The clashing of the sabers made him forget his pain and soon he was not only fighting the Alcalde, but also a couple of lancers who were now intervening in the fight to support their commanding officer. The fight went on much longer than the Alcalde had apparently expected because his moves were suddenly flawed by anger and impatience. Shouting orders at his lancers he fought desperately against his opponent's courage, swiftness, and skill. Until one brief moment changed everything.

One of the lancers managed to disappear from Zorro's range of view and concentrating all of his strength in his leg, he kicked the masked outlaw in the back, making the man scream out in agony. De Soto was quick enough to appreciate the advantage of the moment and quickly brought his blade up against Zorro's exposed neck.

"Lancers, put him in irons and throw the keys away. We won't be needing them anymore," De Soto roared with excitement when his nemesis was finally kneeling in front of him. The lancers moved quickly and through a painful haze Diego heard the shackles around his wrists snap shut behind his back. He lay on the floor, breathing heavily, trying to fight off the nauseating waves of pain that kept rushing through him. With his eyes shut tightly he lay on the floor completely at the mercy of his enemy. "Finally," he heard De Soto whisper so close to his ear, that he could feel the warmth of his breath against his skin. "Now I'll be able to finish what my mercenaries have begun two months ago. "They were convinced that you were dead but I knew better than that. I had my lancers search for your body and when they couldn't find it I knew that you somehow had survived. It was just a matter of time until I could lure you out of your burrow and into my trap. And now, Senor Zorro, you are mine. And you will hang tomorrow at noon. My lancers are setting up the gallows as we speak." De Soto moved away from him and got up from the floor. "Lancer," he addressed one of the waiting uniformed men who immediately stood at attention. "Bring Sergeant Mendoza here," he snarled and shot the frightened and breathless man an evil look. "It will be his pleasure to carry out my orders. GO!" The lancer hurried off and returned mere moments later with a sleepy Mendoza high on his heels, who had been woken by the noise of the previous fighting.

"Mi Alcalde?" Mendoza stammered as he slowly began to realize what was going on.

"Ahh, Mendoza. There you are. As you can see I have finally accomplished what no one before me ever could. Zorro is in our hands and he will hang tomorrow at noon. It will be your honor to pull the lever." He gave the poor man a mischievous grin and with a stifled however sardonic laughter he added "Don't think I never noticed your admiration for this hero." De Soto had spat out the last word like a curse and kicked Zorro, who was still cringing in pain on the floor, in the side. "Lancers, grab him and throw him in the darkest cell we have. I want two men to stand guard at all times. Everyone is to keep quiet about what happened here tonight. I want the end of the masked legend to be a surprise event at tomorrow's market." He waited for the soldiers to drag Zorro away into the adjacent prison cells before he turned to Mendoza, whose face was ashen and struck by the horror of what he had just witnessed. "There's one thing I forgot to mention," he told the sergeant when the lancers were gone. "Tomorrow we will destroy his legend forever. Everyone is to see that the legendary Zorro is merely a man of flesh and blood. Therefore I've decided to have him flogged. That little exhibition of my power should be enough to keep the people under control. Oh, what's that, Mendoza? Is that remorse that I see in your eyes? Tststs. There's no need for that. While I'll leave the honor of ending Zorro's life to you, I shall grant myself the pleasure of flogging him myself. And as soon as I'm going to be finished with him…," Ignacio De Soto grinned evilly. "His mask will be mine. I want them to look in the face of their hero in the moment of his demise."

AN: Okay. So I am very, extremely nervous about this first part of the chapter and I'd appreciate some feedback. I find it more difficult to write theses chapters without Ana, as (and I've probably mentioned this before) the concept of this FF concentrated almost purely on the story of Diego and Ana. I'm not very confident writing all these other characters and I'm afraid my portrayal of De Soto is just a little more evil than it was on the show. However, when I wrote this I always had those first scenes of "The new broom" in mind and was very mean and actually rather evil in that one.


	22. Chapter 22

AN: So here's the rest of chapter 21, labled as chapter 22. No more changes in plans. The next chapter will be the last one. Thank you all for your reviews. They are greatly appreciated. One fun fact. Last night when I was working on this chapter I realized something. Whenever I tried to imagine what Ana looks like, I had a very clear image in my mind. I have a print of a painting by Paul Gauguin hanging in my living room titeled **_Deux tahitiennes_** (1899). The woman on the left looks exactly like Ana (however, Ana is wearing clothes in my mind...). Just find it fascinating as I never realized that until last night.

**Chapter Twenty two**

"Diego!" Alejandro marched from the dining room through the parlor into the library, frantically looking for his son. "Diego!" Frustrated that he couldn't find him anywhere in the house he was about to enter Zorro's cave through the fireplace when Felipe came into the library. It was still early in the morning, the sun had only just begun to rise and its light was starting to warmly illuminate the hacienda's room. Felipe had been on his way to tend to Toronado when he ran into Alejandro. "Felipe!" Alejandro acknowledged his grandson's presence with a smile. "Good morning. Have you seen Diego? I cannot find him anywhere."

'Maybe he's in the cave,' Felipe signed and looked at the fireplace which disguised the only entrance to the cave from inside the hacienda. He quickly pushed the hidden button that opened the secret door and hurried through it with Alejandro high on his heels.

"I hope he stuck to his promise," Alejandro mumbled, hoping that he'd find his son sitting at his desk as he had the day before. When he hadn't found his son in his bedroom and in no other part of the hacienda, a foreboding feeling of great danger had taken hold of him and he tried to keep his emotions under control that were about to run wild with fear. The narrow tunnel that led into the cave seemed to stretch far longer than on any other day he had entered it before and he heart sank when he saw, that there was no light shining through the archway that separated the cave from the tunnel. Both men hastened inside and stopped dead in their tracks when they saw that Diego's chair was indeed empty. "He's not here," Alejandro gasped and looked at Felipe's ashen face who had just turned towards his grandfather.

'Do you think Zorro rode last night?' the much younger man signed and looked desperately at his grandfather as though he was hoping that he'd tell him that it wasn't so.

"It would seem this way," Alejandro grumbled darkly and rested a hand on Felipe's trembling shoulder in a helpless gesture of comfort. "Toronado is gone," he pointed his finger towards the stable area where the impressive large stallion usually was hidden.

'He promised he wouldn't ride against the Alcalde. He knew that it was a trap. Something must have gone terribly wrong,' Felipe's hands were trembling when they were forming the signs that were his only way of communicating with other people.

"We don't know that yet," Alejandro tried to calm the younger man and gave him an encouraging smile. "There's still a little glimpse of hope. You saw Diego and Victoria together these past few weeks. Maybe his yearning for her closeness was too strong and he rode to the pueblo to see her. Of course I could never approve of such behavior. However right now I'd prefer that possibility," Alejandro said with earnest. "Let's ride to Los Angeles and see if we can find Diego there. Hurry," he added and grabbed Felipe by his upper arm. Dragging the boy along with him they left the cave and hurried towards the hacienda's stables where Dulicnea and Felipe's pinto were waiting for their riders. The two men quickly saddled their horses and within minutes they were galloping to the pueblo.

Even though Victoria was an early riser the tavern was still closed when Alejandro and Felipe arrived in Los Angeles. Impatiently Alejandro hammered his fist against the wood door, when he felt Felipe tuck at his shirt.

"What is it?" he snarled but when he saw the fear in the young man's eyes he quickly looked into the direction where Felipe was pointing his finger to. Right in the center of the plaza the gallows had been erected and the knot in Alejandro's stomach tightened considerably. But before he had a chance to voice his sudden fears, the door to the tavern was opened and the two men almost ran Victoria over when they stormed inside.

"Don Alejandro, Felipe," Victoria gasped in surprise when she recognized the two man that had sought entrance to her establishment at such an early hour. "Is something wrong?" she queried.

"Victoria," Alejandro greeted her, a little short of breath. "Is Diego here?"

"No," Victoria shook her head and raised her eyebrows. "Is something wrong?" she demanded, fear evident in her shaky voice.

"Diego is not at home and I'm afraid that he went to confront the Alcalde about the new tax," Alejandro explained his own agitation and leaned heavily against the bar. "And now I have to see that the gallows have been erected. When did they do that?

"Some time last night," Victoria answered truthfully and remembered her annoyance about the disturbance during the previous night. "And there was something going on at the cuartel last night. I could hear some of the lancers and De Soto shouting orders. And ever since then the prison and the rest of the cuartel is under heavy guard. Dios mio," Victoria gasped and quickly sat down as she suddenly felt her knees giving way. "They've caught him." She whispered and a single tear ran down her cheek. "There's no other explanation. De Soto has caught Zorro. It would explain everything – the gallows, the noise coming from the cuartel last night." Her shoulders were shaking by now and she found it difficult to breathe. Neither Alejandro nor Victoria noticed Felipe sneak out of the tavern, when the elderly Don sat down next to the desperate woman and hugged her tightly.

Felipe passed the peddlers that were beginning to set up their market stalls and hastened as quickly as he could without raising suspicion toward the cuartel. Careful to keep his distance he snuck past the lancers on guard and quickly walked around the outer walls of the cuartel. He was looking for Toronado, who would have been hiding somewhere, if the added security measures were indeed caused by Zorro's capture. He went to all the usual spots, where Toronado would wait for his master to return from one of his missions but couldn't find him anywhere. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to make of this and with a heavy heart he returned to the tavern, taking the long way back this time. When he entered he immediately spotted Alejandro and Victoria still sitting close to each other on bench.

'Toronado is not here,' Felipe signed as soon as they were looking at him. 'So maybe Zorro is not here after all.'

"Or he went home," Alejandro dimmed the hope that was flashing in the younger man's eyes. "I'm sorry Felipe, but the fact that Toronado is not here doesn't prove that the Alcalde has not indeed captured Zorro. We need to come up with some kind of plan, just in case. And in the meantime," he turned his gaze toward Victoria and tried to give her an encouraging smile. "In the meantime we have to act as though this was a normal market day. I'll go back to the hacienda and I will return with my vaqueros and bring some horses that I want to sell. They're capable men and they will be able to support us should the need arise. Felipe will stay with you and help you with the tavern. Should anything happen while I'm gone, send him back to the hacienda and we'll return immediately."

"Alright," Victoria nodded and slowly got up, her knees still a bit wobbly. She turned to face Alejandro who had also risen from his seat and looked sadly at her lover's father. "I am scared, Don Alejandro," she admitted and had to fight hard to hold her tears back.

"I am too, Victoria. There's still a chance that I return to the hacienda and find Diego there. And in that case I'm going to send someone here instantly – or at least as soon as I will be done giving him some piece of my mind." Trying to relief some of the tension he flashed a halfhearted smile at her. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he reassured her and to Felipe he added. "Keep your eyes and ears open. Of all of us you're the one to raise the least suspicion." With it said Alejandro left the tavern and quickly rode back to the hacienda.

zZzZz

A few hours later Victoria was still serving the hungry and thirsty market visitors, when she heard the heavy footsteps of many lancers marching out of the cuartel. Her heart skipped a beat and she dropped the dishtowel to the floor that she'd just been using. Without paying any attention to her customers she went outside in order to see what the commotion was about. Quite a large group of people had assembled and was now surrounding the gallows, kept at bay by an unusual large number of lancers. Standing on a hastily built podium De Soto towered over the gathered crowd with an unreadable expression on his face. Searching the faces Victoria spotted Don Alejandro and some of his vaqueros among the crowd and her heart sank at the sight. This could only mean that Diego had not returned home yet.

"My dear people of Los Angeles and all of you visiting our wonderful small pueblo," De Soto roared, drowning the accumulated noise of the people. "Today I stand before you as your most humble servant that is about to honor your confidence in him by finally bringing your worst enemy to justice. He has blinded you with his alleged grandeur and his eloquent speeches which would have destroyed the loyalty to the Spanish crown even of the most faithful subject of his majesty King Ferdinand. A few weeks ago I could lure this despicable filthy outlaw into a trap and he almost died. Yet somehow he managed to survive. However, I never gave up hope and I found another way to put this criminal in chains. I am very pleased to announce that last night the outlaw you all know by the name of El Zorro was captured indeed captured by me and my fearless lancers." A loud murmur went through the crowd but was immediately silenced by the lancers who immediately stood at attention, raising their muskets ever so slightly. De Soto nodded towards one of them who instantly saluted and shouted an order at a group of ten lancers that were guarding the cuartel's gate. Two of them opened it and after a few moments Sergeant Mendoza escorted the one man out, that none of the pueblo's inhabitants had ever wanted to see like this. Zorro limped and seemed to be a broken man. What little could be seen of his face was distorted with pain and he was leaning heavily on the sergeant as the two men slowly approached the gallows. They were followed by the group that had previously been guarding the cuartel's gate and they were now holding their weapons up high in order to immediately eliminate whoever dared to intervene. "This is the day that we all have been waiting for," the Alcalde announced with his voice raised to a triumphant roar so that the last whispers would die down. Waiting for Mendoza to arrive with the prisoner he looked at the people's faces that were filled with horror, fear, and utter disgust for what they were about to witness. But the sheer force of his troops held them back and condemned them to a powerlessness they were more used to than they could care for. Among them Victoria, Felipe, and Alejandro stood as if paralyzed, unable to think clearly. All of them realized quickly that the vaqueros Alejandro had brought with him to the pueblo were not enough men to fight against the Alcalde's lancers and even if they had a chance to free Diego, he probably wouldn't be able to flee anyway.

"Due to his prolonged treasonous acts and crimes the man you all know as Zorro has been sentenced to be hung by the neck until death sets in. Prior to this as a reminder and in resemblance to the humiliation all of us were subjected to by this man's actions he shall be flogged. He will be lashed forty times on the bare back. His mask will be removed at the very end so all of you will have the chance to look into the dead eyes of the man who tried to force his own wrongful interpretation of the law upon us." De Soto paused to let the message sink in and then nodded towards Mendoza who hesitantly dragged Zorro to the wooden column that was standing in front of the gallows. Even though there was a huge crowd on the plaza the sound of the shackles as they snapped shut around Zorro's wrists could be heard almost everywhere in the small village. Mendoza was close to tears when he stepped back and took the bullwhip one of the lancers was holding out for him to take and waited for De Soto to come down from his podium. The Alcalde took his time, strutting towards the bound man in black who was now for the first time completely at his mercy. Grabbing the other man's shirt by the collar and with one strong movement of his arm, he tore the delicate black fabric of the shirt apart, exposing Zorro's back to the garish midday sun. He shot Mendoza a triumphant look when he took the whip from the sergeant whose face was pale and he looked ready to cry. Bringing just the right distance between himself and his delinquent, De Soto stripped out of his jacket and handing it to one of the lancers he unrolled the whip. Letting it crack on the ground once, he proved to the shocked crowd that their worst nightmare was about to come true.

"Ignacio," suddenly a female voice could be heard throughout the plaza and made every single head turn in search for the woman it belonged to. "If I were you, I'd think twice whether it is wise what you are about to do." Rather close to where De Soto and Zorro were, the crowd began to part to make way for a woman who was hiding her face underneath a large black shawl that only a few of them had ever seen before.

"Lancers!" De Soto screamed at the top of his lungs, his head red with anger. "Arrest that woman!" Breathing heavily he waited for the stranger to come out of the crowd. "How dare you," he growled when he saw the woman emerge. And as if in a reply she took down her shawl that had been hiding her face and looked De Soto straight in the face.

"Do you remember me now?" she asked. "We have met before. Many years ago in Madrid." She continued towards him, apparently quite unimpressed by the number of his lancers.

"Dona Ana," De Soto whispered in shock and the lash that he had been proudly holding in his hands only moments before, fell to the ground, hitting the dust without making a sound. "I thought you were…"

"Dead? I was. But I suppose you forced me to come back. Call back your lancers," Ana said and she had not asked nicely. Her smile was hardly visible when De Soto immediately followed her order. She approached him further until she stood face to face with the much taller white haired man. "I've never interfered with your questionable fashion of executing your power over this poor people. And that was mostly due to the fact that they were protected by the man whose life you're about to end."

"But he is a traitor! I'm only enforcing the law!" De Soto defended himself and his course of action.

"I doubt that, Ignacio. But I don't wish to humiliate you in front of your subjects any further." She turned toward Mendoza. "Release him," she said softly and gave him a reassuring smile. Mendoza didn't know what to do but immediately sprang to life when De Soto nodded slightly. He opened the locks on Zorro's shackles with trembling hands and let them drop into the dust. Zorro turned slowly, rubbing his wrists, until he could see Ana.

"I didn't think that I'd ever see you again."

"You're not the only one," she answered, looking at De Soto from the corner of her eye. Zorro approached her and came to a halt right next to her. "I'll explain everything when the time is right. Right now you should get out of here. I trust Toronado is around?"

"Yes," Zorro confirmed and gave the infamous whistle that would cause his mighty steed to appear out of nowhere. Indeed it took the black stallion only a few moments to show up nearby the cuartel from where he galloped towards his master, scaring the lancers away when he crossed their path. Zorro lost no time and although he felt weak and the pain in his back was threatening to overwhelm him, he mounted Toronado.

"He will leave unharmed and you will not follow him, De Soto," Ana said so quietly that only the Alcalde could hear her. He nodded and turned his angry face away in defeat. "Ride hard," Ana whispered and smiled shyly at Zorro who closed his eyes for a brief moment of thankfulness before he urged his steed into a canter.

The lancers as well as the people of the pueblo were watching in awe and disbelief at what was going on right before their eyes. Nervous chatter had begun to spread through the assembled and lancers were shooting each other uncertain looks. The ones closest to the Alcalde were quite unsure what they were supposed to do. Some of them raised their muskets and aimed them at the fleeing outlaw, just waiting for De Soto to give them an order to do so. The distance between them and their target was beginning to become dangerously far and one of the soldiers, who was always eager to please his Alcalde, was too anxious to let the moment pass. Shortly after he pulled the trigger a shot rang through the air and made a musket bull force itself through tender flesh and past delicate bones.

Everyone's eyes turned to Zorro who was pulling Toronado's reins hard and with it forced the horse to turn around, so that he could see what was going on. All he had heard was a single shot, not followed by an agonized cry of pain and so he didn't expect anyone to be harmed. However, what he saw made his heart sink and dig his heels into his horse's flanks. Speeding back to the plaza he only saw Ana who was leaning against Sergeant Mendoza, clutching her hand to her chest. Slowing Toronado but not stopping him, he mustered all his strength, grabbed Ana and pulled her into the saddle in front of him. Blood was oozing from between her fingers but he couldn't afford to pay attention to that right now. Using Toronado's impressive appearance as a way to scare the lancers away, he forced his steed into a gallop and rode out of the pueblo with fear holding his heart in its cruel icy grip.

Almost at the same time four more people made their way away from the gathered crowd. Felipe and Victoria both jumped in the saddle of Felipe's pinto and quickly rode away from the people, hoping that not too many of them would notice their hurried departure. Don Alejandro followed them only a short time later, after he had found Dr Hernandez. The elderly physician promised to come to the hacienda instantly, but had to fetch his supplies from his office before he could leave the pueblo. Alejandro advised him to take a different route and the doctor promised he would do so, using the commotion amongst the people as a disguise, so that not too many people would take notice of him disappearing so suddenly.

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About two hours later Diego was sitting on a chair in the hallway, surrounded by Victoria, Felipe, and his father. A heavy blanket of silence as they waited for Dr Hernandez to come out of the hacienda's guestroom in which he had been working on Ana ever since he had arrived at the de la Vega's home. Hardly any word had torn the silence. There had been no accusations, no harsh words, no shouting. Victoria was holding Diego's hand in hers, relishing the simple fact that he was with her, after she had nearly lost him once again. His hand on his son's shoulder, Alejandro harbored the same feelings but was also worried for the woman who had saved his son's life.

After another hour the sound of the door being opened made the three of them turn their hopeful eyes towards it. Dr Hernandez stepped out of the room, exhausted, his shirt covered with blood. The expression on his face was quite unreadable and made Diego get up from his seat, even though the throbbing pain in his back advised him otherwise.

"How is she?" Diego demanded to know and without letting go of Victoria's hand he made a few step towards the physician.

"I'm afraid there's nothing I can do. The musket ball caused too much damage and she has lost a lot of blood. I am sorry," the good doctor said tiredly, his voice filled with sympathy.

"May I see her?" Diego asked very quietly and turned to face Victoria after the doctor had given his approval by simply nodding.

"I'll wait here," Victoria whispered and kissed his pale cheek. Diego smiled weakly at her and taking in a deep breath he slowly went into the guestroom and closed the door behind him.

Ana was lying on the bed with the covers pulled up to her chin and her eyes closed. Quietly Diego sat down on the bed next to her and took her hand in his. Weakly she opened her eyes and smiled when she recognized him.

"I'm sorry," Diego whispered hoarsely, fighting back tears.

"Don't be," Ana said in a whisper. "I'll finally get to see my son and my husband again. That's all I ever wanted."

"I understand."

"I need to ask you a favor, Diego," Ana said and looked at him pleadingly.

"Anything…"

"I want to be buried next to them in Santa Clarita. Find Esteban Perez. He will know what to do and he will give you all the answers to the questions I see in your eyes. I don't have the strength anymore." Ana closed her eyes and took in a raspy labored breath.

"I promise," Diego said and gently caressed her feverish cheek. There were a few moments of silence between them, in which Diego tried to keep his composure and Ana tried to gather what little strength she had left.

"I'm very grateful that destiny made our paths cross, Diego. You are and exceptional man. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I've never seen so much strength and love in a single person as I've seen in you," Ana whispered but felt her strength fading quickly. "You saved me…" A coughing fit broke her trail of thought and a fine line of blood trickled down from the corner of her mouth. Opening her eyes one last time, she looked deeply in his, sharing her innermost with him once more, before her last breath came over her lips and briefly lingered in the room as the last remnant of a soul that had just begun its last journey.

AN: Sorry about that. It was always supposed to happen this way. The next chapter will finally explain everything.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty three**

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_Let me not to the marriage of true minds_

_Admit impediments; love is not love_

_Which alters when it alteration finds,_

_Or bends with the remover to remove._

_O no, it is an ever-fixed mark_

_That looks on tempests and is never shaken;_

_It is the star to every wandering bark,_

_Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken._

_Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks_

_Within his bending sickle's compass come;_

_Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,_

_But bears it out even to the edge of doom._

_If this be error and upon me proved,_

_I never writ, nor no man ever loved._*

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"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.** Amen." The old Padre of Santa Clarita closed the bible in his hands and smiled compassionately at the small congregation of mourners that had assembled around the freshly dug out grave. He quickly shook the hand of the oldest of the men present and without offering another word of comfort he left. Esteban Perez's face had a strange expression of peace and probably even relief upon it when looked down on the dark wood of the casket they had lowered into the ground only a few minutes before. Maria, his housekeeper was weeping in silence and couldn't stand to look anybody in the eyes. Her grief was overwhelming and she tried to stay strong for the man with whom she had spent the last thirty years of her life.

"Let's go home," Esteban said hoarsely and looked at Maria first then at the other four members of their small group. "I think it is about time that you hear her whole story."

"I do not wish to trouble you during this time of grief," Diego said politely. "However, I would like to hear about her past whenever you feel well enough to tell it."

"Nonsense, Don Diego," the old man replied in an almost harsh fashion, shaking his head determinedly. "I have more reasons to be grateful to you than you could probably ever imagine. And there's no time like the present." Without losing any more time Esteban took Maria's hand in his and led the way to his home at the other end of the street. Diego with Victoria, Alejandro, and Felipe followed and they walked the short distance to the Perez family's house. Out of the corner of his eye Diego saw that two men had already begun to shovel the dirt into the open grave. A weird feeling of emptiness and finality brought tears to his eyes but he somehow managed to hold them back.

About ten minutes later the small party arrived at Esteban's house. Maria immediately disappeared into the kitchen and Esteban asked them to join him in the parlor where he offered a seat to each of them. An awkward silence hung in the room for quite some time until Maria returned from the kitchen balancing a coffee tray in her hand. She poured each of them a cup and then sat down in the armchair next to Esteban's .

"How much do you actually know about Ana?" Esteban finally addressed Diego, taking a sip from his coffee.

"Not as much as I'd like to. I know that she was a very capable healer and she has accidently told me about what happened to her, her husband, and their son seven years ago," Diego answered. "And I know about the scars on her back."

"I discovered them when I tended to her when she'd been sick," Victoria hurried to explain when she saw the look on both Esteban's and Alejandro's faces.

"Well, then you do know a lot more about her, than she would have cared for," Esteban said darkly. There were another few minutes of silence until finally Esteban began to tell Ana's tale.

"Ana's husband Miguel was my younger brother's son. He was a very smart young man and when he had finished school my brother sent him to Madrid where he enrolled in medical school. Before he had left for Spain Miguel had promised his parents that he'd send them letters every day. A few weeks after his departure the first letters started to arrive. They were what one would expect them to be. He wrote about his new life, how he had found himself some friends amongst the students and how he liked Madrid and all the new experiences he was making there. After about two years my brother had an impressive collection of nearly six hundred letters from his son. Then in his third year in Madrid something happened. Miguel had fallen in love with a young woman that he had been introduced to by one of the other students. Her name was Ana and from his letters you could tell that he had indeed lost his heart to her. They spent a lot of time together, but never in an inappropriate way. However, there was something about her that made her different. She never told him about her family or where she came from. All he knew at the time was that she was from a wealthy family that resided somewhere outside of Madrid. Miguel's love for her was strong enough to not question her any further and throughout the next year they enjoyed their lives as young lovers. However one day Ana showed up at his doorstep crying desperately. She told him that her family was trying to force her into a marriage with a man she didn't love. It took Miguel hours to calm her down. And finally she told him what family she was coming from. She was the only daughter of Antonio Pascal and María Amalia, who was a sister to our King Ferdinand the seventh. It was the king himself who had arranged for her to marry a French nobleman in the hopes of bringing peace between the two nations which were at the brink of war. Anyone in their right mind would have sent her away after that confession but Miguel didn't. After everything she had told him, he went down on his knees and proposed to her, knowing then and there that he was committing an act of high treason against the Spanish Crown. Ana tried to talk him out of it, tried to convince him that her family would never tolerate such disobedience. But Miguel was insistent and she eventually agreed. They even managed to find a padre who agreed to marry them and two days later they left a small chapel just outside of Madrid as a married couple. Ever since then their life together was full of the danger of being caught. The king had his spies looking for her and of course they eventually found them. One of Miguel's fellow students had given them away to one of the king's men and they were taken captive only three weeks after they had gotten married. King Ferdinand spent hours questioning his niece and obviously he also tried to convince her to vitiate her marriage to Miguel. He even made her watch her husband being tortured. However, their love was too strong – even for a king. In the end he sentenced them both to death for high treason. Ana later told me that it had been her father, the king's uncle, who had pleaded with Ferdinand to pardon them. But the king couldn't do so without losing his face to his people. Antonio on the other hand knew, that Ferdinand had always been particularly fond of Ana. And so he never gave up his efforts to convince the king to take back the death sentence. In the end Ana's father was triumphant. The king agreed to ban both of them to the colonies here in Alta California. However, he had to make an example of Ana and Miguel. Officially Ana was declared dead. In a brief announcement to the Spanish people the crown claimed that Ana had died in an unfortunate riding accident shortly before her wedding to that French nobleman. Even though Ferdinand held Ana close to his heart he ruled, that she and Miguel both needed to be punished for such a severe act of disobedience to the Spanish Crown. He sentenced Ana to be flogged no less than a hundred times and then banned her from ever returning to Spain for the rest of her life. Miguel's punishment was to being forced to watch his wife suffer so cruelly. Ana nearly died. After her verdict had been executed, Miguel was allowed to nurse her back to health, before they took a ship to California. When they arrived in the new world, the only thing they had was their love for each other and it took them a long time to recuperate from everything that had happened in Spain. But somehow it seemed that their love had only gotten stronger after all of this and two years after their arrival here in California Ana expected their first child. That's when I first met her. Back in those days she was a very gentle and caring woman, that would have given herself up in order to protect the ones she loved. It wasn't very difficult to accept her as a new member of our family. We always knew that she missed her father terribly and that she was actually still in contact with him. Sometimes mysterious letters from Spain would arrive, that contained words that nearly broke her heart and usually some money that was supposed to aid her and her husband in their repudiated life." Esteban finished his long story to which everybody in the room had listened intently. After a long period of silence it was Diego who spoke first.

"It's no wonder that when I met her she seemed to be so bitter," he pondered and looked at Esteban who nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. And after that vicious attack on her and her family she kept blaming herself for what had happened. My brother found her, Miguel, and Pedro on the street to Santa Barbara. He had gone looking for them, when they hadn't arrived at his home way after midnight. He and his wife never blamed her for what had happened even though their grief for their son and grandson was out of measure. They even offered her to stay with them but she refused and moved away from Santa Barbara and from life. Using the money her father kept sending her she bought her little farm and only left it to go to Los Angeles on market days, where she'd give away elixirs and ointments to the poorest of the poor and buy whatever she couldn't provide for herself. She completely secluded herself from life until you entered hers," Esteban smiled briefly at Diego who was still trying to process everything that he had just heard.

"I still don't understand what you meant when you said that I've saved her in more ways than one. Right now I think I've only made her life more difficult than it already has been. And I'm also still trying to get over the fact, that I am indeed responsible for her death." Diego was desperate and for the first time ever since that fateful day he had voiced what had been troubling him ever since the day one of the Alcalde's lancers had shot Ana.

"Don Diego," Esteban gasped in exasperation when he heard the words from the younger man's lips. "It is true. You have indeed saved her in more ways than one. While you were still with her she came here to Santa Clarita on the day of the mugging's seventh anniversary. I was shocked when she told me that she had actually allowed someone to be that close to her – especially under such dire circumstances. You have to understand that Ana wouldn't allow anyone to come close to her. Even I only got to see her once a year and it was always on the day of the anniversary of Miguel's and Pedro's death. However this year was remarkably different. She actually talked to me and even told me about you. Some of her old self had returned and I remember Maria and me celebrating that night. Ana was indeed opening up to you and I still think that she might have found a way to return to a somewhat normal life. And that was all thanks to you, Don Diego. It was you who showed her, that she didn't have to endure all of her pain and grief all by herself. For this I shall be forever thankful."

"There's just one thing I still cannot understand," Diego stated after a few moments of silence. "Why was Ignacio De Soto so scared of her, that he even let his archenemy go unharmed?"

"Oh that is quite simple to explain, Don Diego," Esteban smiled. "Haven't you ever wondered how Ana had managed to live her life so completely unnoticed even by the authorities?"

"Now that you mention it…"

"Every Alcalde of the pueblo de Los Angeles has his orders coming directly from the Spanish Crown. One of them states, that a woman named Ana Perez is to be left alone and unharmed. If anything should ever happen to her, the acting Alcalde will have to answer to the king himself. Of course no Alcalde would ever risk that. That's why it was within her might to save you from the gallows. Which reminds me," Esteban rose from his armchair and went towards a bookshelf. He took out an old, obviously quite frequently used book and handed it to Diego. "Ana asked me to give this to you in case anything should happen to her." Diego took the book from Esteban and read the yellowed letters on its cover. _Shakespeare's Sonnets_. He remembered it to be the only book he had ever seen at her house and with trembling hands he opened it. Out and onto the floor fell a piece of parchment. Diego quickly picked it up and unfolded it. It was a letter in Ana's elegant handwriting, which he had never seen before.

_Dear Diego,_

_Obviously something must have gone terribly wrong or otherwise you wouldn't be reading these few lines._

_Out of the very possessions I call my own I wanted you to have this book. With you being the man I got to know during the few weeks we have spent together, I assume that you already own a copy of Shakespeare's most brilliant work. However, I wanted you to have this, since it is my most prized possession. Even though you'll probably think of me as a mad woman, I do owe you a lot. It was you who showed me that my continued distrust of people in general is not worth the prize that I am paying. Fate has not been kind to me and I do realize that I've made a few questionable decisions in my life. However, you showed me that I don't need to have any regrets. I was blessed to experience a love that completed me and it was you who has taught me that this is the one gift of God that we are actually meant to be blessed with. When I saw you and Victoria together I was reminded of that and even though my love is lost to me, the love between you and her has brought back a glimmer of hope to my own wounded soul. _

_I do hope that now, that my life is over, I will finally get to see my lover and my son again and I am praying to the one above, that you'll spend your life filled with the love that you deserve. There's one favor I need to ask of you, though. Please take care of Águila. My father once gave her to me and after Miguel's and Pedro's death, she was the only living soul that I could ever rely on._

_Allow me a few last words, Diego, before I leave this world and your memories forever. Love, like there's no tomorrow and don't be frightened to do so. Victoria loves you and every moment you spend without her is a moment that you'll never get back. Don't hide any longer and dare to show her the man that you truly are. You will be rewarded._

_Ana_

_PS: I think Águila and Toronado 'liked' each other more, than both of us would probably have ever expected. You'll see in a few months' time._

The End

* William Shakespeare, Sonnet #116

** Numbers 6:24 – 26

AN: I want to thank all of you who so very faithfully followed my story. I'm both relieved and sad at the same time that it's finally over. If you find it within you to review, please do so. I'm still quite curious to know what you think about Stranger in the night. Maybe one of you guys can even come up with a better title for this ff, as that is the one thing that I'm still not happy about. ;-)

And as good old Shakespeare would say: "The rest is silence."


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